Alluring Darkness
by MasterFranny
Summary: [BrooklynKai, GarlandTala, ReiMystel] [YAOI] Takes place after GRev. Kai still has ‘grudges’ against Brooklyn, but the older teen is determined to erase them... CHP 11 UP!
1. Presence

**MasterFranny:** I saw no one wrote BrooklynKai fanfictions, thus I decided to go write one. I love this couple, because Brooklyn is soooo hot! Kai, well, you know how much I love him. I think he's a perfect bottom type... /snickers/ **uke!Kai**

Enjoy!

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**Rating**: T

**Summary:** Takes place after G-Rev. Kai still has some 'grudges' against Brooklyn, but the older teen is determined to erase them... Yaoi BrooklynKai and GarlandTala. May be hints of ReiMystel.

**Warning:** this contains Yaoi so if you don't like stop reading right now. Any flame regarding yaoi use of pairings will be handed to Hiei and Kai to be disposed of.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own. Otherwise there wouldn't be a second season like the one we had and there would be a side season filled with yaoi...

"Talking"

'_Thinking'_

"(Talking into other languages)"

–**dreams sequences, flashbacks, memories–**

……………………………………………

**Alluring Darkness**

**Chapter 01 Presence**

A dark sky, just as dark as his thoughts were right now, was what he was staring at -almost admiring.

Clouds, still unrecognizable because of the darkness of the sky, were growing to cover the shining stars, so quickly it took less than an hour to have them disappeared completely, this being the only sign they existed.

Here and there, other type of lights were recognizable, the red lights of the airplanes landing or departing from the city, but it was like nothing could break the peace.

Deep, crimson eyes stared carelessly at the sky, mildly wondering if it would rain in the immediate future, but not bothering the last bit about it.

It was all too quiet to ruin the moment by thinking something so stupid -it was one of the few peaceful moments he could spare and he wasn't going to spoil it.

It was a wonderful night, stars shining up high, bright and clear -he could even tell which light was which constellation- the moon standing right above his head with its pale glow, and the silence greeting him.

Nothing could be compared with laying in the grass in the middle of the night, staring up at the sky, with no care in the world, no place he was needed to be, no one waiting for him.

Just himself to be with.

Next to his face, gracing his painted cheeks, there was his scarf, which he took away in order to lay down better… well, it _was_ heavy, and for how much he was used wearing it, knowing it helped him strengthen up, it still bugged him sometimes.

Why do I need these kinds of things? Why can't I just let it all go, and start acting normal? Maybe he would think like this another time... but not tonight. For once, similar thoughts were not appearing in his mind, he was contented resting the way he was doing now.

Arms resting behind his head, eyes fixed high but lightly unfocused, as if the teen wasn't really just looking up, but inside himself as well.

Many nights he'd spent like this, back in the days he hadn't needed to worry about championships, or people trying to dominate the world. He could've passed hours like this, and no one would ever had known -not even Boris, who was his director and knew all about him.

Years passed by, he grew up, things changed, nothing would never ever be the same again, but still, as his mind went back to his past, the slate haired teen resting well hidden in the grass knew he would never miss entirely what he'd left back.

His past, dark and painful, was concealed behind the mask he usually wore, he was determined not to turn to it anymore, he was now looking up, trying to find a way to finally cope with it without getting hurt.

But in nights like these, nothing mattered.

He was high above the city, no highlights could reach his spot, protected by the tall trees and by the bushes, no cars, no human voices could break the intense peacefulness of the moment -it was just him and the night.

His eyes closed slightly, his mind relaxing a bit, forcing him to forget the problems of the last weeks in order to rest -something he'd been deprived of no matter how hard others would complain, especially Mr. Dickinson.

The recent championship, the challenge Boris tried in order to defeat once for all Tyson and his idealistic idea of justice, the fights, the strain of competing against strong opponents, it was a weight Kai was all too happy to brush off his back.

He'd almost been killed in one of those so called justice matches, against a genius that was way stronger than he would ever be.

He'd thought he would die, it was true -but luckily enough, by a twisted turn of fate, he'd been saved in time, had being called back to the living.

Not that the last strain left him unharmed. After the loss of energy due to _The Fight_ complications occurred that did not fade together with the weariness and the weakness after few days.

His hands…

Soft footsteps could not take him out of his concentration, even if in some deep part of his mind he'd registered the sound and tensed up just barely.

Was it Tala? The red head knew how Kai's mind worked, so maybe he found out where he was and dropped by.

A soft whiff caressed his silky hair as the other person sat down near him, not speaking, almost not breathing, trying too to keep the silence some more.

But he knew it would break. It was almost obvious one of them would speak, the words chasing away the quiet, sounding foreign and out of place, and still, he couldn't stop it to happen.

He opened his eyes again, not caring about the other's presence, not caring about whom the other might be, his tension returning slightly because of the proximity with another human being.

Bright orange hair met his sight, together with white clothing that made the crimson eyes blind for a split second, too candid in the darkness. Bright calm and intense green eyes were not looking at him, but staring at the sky, as if the other hadn't registered his presence somehow.

Still, no one spoke.

The slate haired teen was starting to feel uneasy, this was another kind of silence, one the orange haired enigma seemed to like, on the other hand it unnerved him greatly.

But he couldn't speak. Not with…

Seconds passed, minutes passed, but the tension in his shoulders and stomach didn't go away. He shifted uncomfortably once, knowing his personal space had been broken and he needed to get back, shattered peace and ruined night.

He was about to get up, his muscles tensing and his weight shifting to help him sit, when green eyes finally turned to him.

Still no words were spoken, but Kai stood there frozen by the piercing gaze, flashes of memories from their fight appearing before his eyes. Memories of their fight, memory of the heated battle that caused his greatest fears to play again before his eyes, the dark creature lingering just above, enveloped by darkness…

Crimson met green in a long speechless glance, emotionless expression meeting pacific one.

It was like the time had stopped, the slate haired teen's mind was filled with questions -why was he here? How could he know about this place? Why now?

Why wasn't he speaking? That silence… he couldn't stand it. It was filled by the dark presence of the BitBeast… Zeus… it was so similar to Black Dranzer…

They hadn't been in good terms right after the fight between each other, or even more after the fight the orange haired teen had with Tyson. What now?

Brooklyn.

Such a mysterious one.

Or should it be 'weird'?

Not that he was the one to speak. He was well aware of how strange he could appear to normal people, with his unusual crimson eyes and shark fins marked on his cheeks.

But he couldn't understand Brooklyn.

He was just _too_ strange.

He always smiled as if nothing was wrong in the world, quiet and serene, eyes warm and welcoming, and then, in the moment's change, the reassuring smile would turn to a sadistic grin, green intense eyes would shine with a mischievous light, almost filled with some kind of lust.

He could not read him like he read everybody else.

And he didn't like this the last bit.

Weird, strange, it didn't matter; Brooklyn was someone he couldn't stand to stay near to. It was not fear, he kept repeating over and over in his mind. He was **not** afraid of Brooklyn, not at all, and he was **not** afraid of Zeus!

Brooklyn was still looking at him, unreadable eyes burning into his own, and then, a soft slow smile appeared.

"Stay," Brooklyn finally whispered. "You don't need to go, Kai".

Contrariwise to what he had thought, the whisper was so low it was barely audible, it didn't break the silence, as if it was part of it, as if Brooklyn didn't speak, as if he communicated with him with his mind.

Comfortable, that's how he was feeling now.

This alone scared him immensely. It was like he was under the hypnotic gaze of the orange haired blader, he refused to, he rejected the very feeling of it! He would never get along with Brooklyn, because… because…

No, he didn't fear Brooklyn… but…

Flashes of dark… Zeus attacking him.

The feeling of hopelessness, sinking down, unable to stop his fall…

Empty, hollow… dark and thick… just like blood, but blank, enveloping him; drowning in the nothingness, Zeus and Brooklyn staring down at him with insane, satisfied eyes, their faces twisted into a sadistic and morbid smirk, destroying Kai's barriers, having him face his worst nightmare…

All the pain of the place he was sent to, all the things he had to face down there, a hell inside his own mind, lost, trapped within it, the despair and the anguish, the loss of hope, the complete loss of his own being.

It hurt.

And he was terribly afraid to have to go once more down there. He came out once, but he was sure he wouldn't be able to free himself again if needed. He was losing his real self in the dark hole and he knew deep down that the second time he would not be so lucky to escape.

Green eyes turned again to him, piercing and caring, hiding, smiling, bright and obscure at the same, flickers of gentleness but also of craving…

No.

No!

He wasn't aware he was trembling, it was so slightly neither he nor Brooklyn noticed it. But he was feeling so cold, as if the night was eating away the warmth of his soul.

Green eyes, piercing through him…

Kai's eyes widened, he couldn't stand any longer Brooklyn presence. He turned and ran away, caring nothing of whatever pride he could have, caring nothing of what Brooklyn would think.

Fear. No, it wasn't fear! But still, he ran.

Brooklyn stared at his retreating form, confusion and… hurt? Clear in his eyes then with a soft sigh, he lay down once more, green eyes staring up.

Eating the light.

……………………………………………

Sun shining above the park as he laid down the grass -really, he was a lucky guy. For two days he got to spend some time alone.

Well, technically not completely alone.

Brooklyn…

A wave of cold hit him and he shuddered despite himself. No matter if the sun was shining above him, and it was a very hot day. It was cold… every time he thought about the orange haired teen.

Uneasy was not the world he could use when speaking about what he felt around Zeus' wielder... maybe it was because he looked unreadable to the slate haired blader -void of any emotion was an understatement, Brooklyn _had_ emotions but they were hidden behind a carefree mask, much similar to the emotionless one Kai himself wore every day.

No, it was not the mask.

"_(Tainted...)"_

Kai gasped sitting up abruptly, and shook his head forcibly, the voice he was determined to forget echoing in his mind. Others would say he had to go to an asylum since he was starting to hear voices, but this wasn't the case.

There were too many ghosts in his past, and the fact that he had been forced to remember all of them, living inside them again, twice, thrice, did not help at all.

That attack…

He seized his shoulders with his hands, trembling, holding so tightly he hurt himself, but any physical pain was better than remembering…

A sudden stab of pain from his fingers reminded him of his problems, but the pain, so real, so strong, helped his mind retreat from the darkness. He couldn't let Brooklyn near him anymore, it was razing down his defences and he would end up insane.

He always acted as if nothing could scare him. After his life in the Abbey, he knew he had to act up as the cocky one, proud and egoistic, he knew he had to become the stronger one around, so nothing could scare him never ever again.

That because, if one ever could scare him, this was Boris. All the boys at the Abbey were frightened by him, Tala and the rest of the Demolition Boys -now Blitzkrieg Boys, or NeoBorg- were no exception.

He swore to himself to grow and stop being afraid of Boris, but it never worked out. He could hide it pretty well to anyone but his fellow Russians, but he still was afraid of Boris.

Nothing else, nothing else...

He was **not** afraid of Brooklyn…

"Hey…"

He froze.

He couldn't even move as he looked up, dread filling him up as he met, once again, with the orange head's eyes, green depths concealing and confusing.

He was standing there, a grin on his face, smiling at _him_, and with the dread something else filled Kai's panicked mind… something he could not recognize, akin to warmth, but not quite it. It was hidden behind the wave of anguish and despair.

The orange headed teen wasn't even moving, merely smiling, and still, it caused Kai's control to shatter in a second.

The slate haired teen tightened his hands into fists, grabbing the ground and the grass at his sides in an attempt to focus, it was just Brooklyn, it was just…

An image of Zeus flickered before his slightly unfocused eyes but Kai willed himself not to be dragged away but the rush of memories.

In a great effort, he managed not to shudder under the piercing gaze, and with an even greater strain and effort, he looked straight into Brooklyn's eyes.

"What do you want!" he sounded harsh and unpleasant, but this was better than squeaking anyway; he ignored the fact that his voice was holding a light panicked tone into it. **Light**.

Brooklyn's smile never faltered, and again Kai thought how similar they were, both hiding under a mask of deceiving… but the thought was replaced by Zeus, and then the BitBeast turned into the Black Phoenix, and he suddenly felt light headed.

'_No!'_ he told himself.

"You disappeared last night, and I wanted to know… how are your hands?"

Kai froze once more.

How could he know? Of all people, not even Tala knew. And they were close friends, as close as anyone with their dark past could have been.

Kai bit his tongue to the point of drawing blood in order to stop himself from trembling. He couldn't take this.

Coppery liquid filled his mouth and for a single moment he had the urge to spit it on the perfect smile the older teen was offering him, but instead he swallowed it, almost doubling over in disgust at the metallic taste.

It all made him sick, he just wanted to go away…

"How…" he gritted his teeth, his voice didn't sound like him at all.

"That's a secret, Kai," Brooklyn's eyes held a defined quality of slyness that the other teen did not like.

He **was not** scared of Brooklyn, damn it!

Zeus' wielder shook his head, seeing Kai's uneasiness, and decided to add, "it was obvious by the way you keep them," he smiled whilst his eyes trailed to Kai's tense hands. "They have to hurt, right?"

Kai retreated lightly, until his back was pressed against the tree behind him, eyes watching every move of the older teen. Brooklyn seemed not aware of the tension he caused in the slate haired blader, and leaning over him he brushed the back of his hand against Kai's cheek, mumbling near his ear, "take care of yourself, ok?"

Without even knowing it, Kai reacted viciously and grabbed Brooklyn's wrist, tightly pushing the hand away from him, hatred flashing in his eyes, the fear and the confusion forgotten for a single moment.

"Don't. Ever Touch. Me. Again," he growled, narrowed eyes. "I don't like being touched".

Suddenly, Brooklyn's expression changed. The carefree and happy mask melted away, leaving him looking completely serious, eyes almost flashing as he replied, "and do you know what _I_ don't like? I don't like being told what to do…"

Kai let go of the other's wrist, gasping softly, shocked by the sudden change. He was not lying, he was deathly serious. The Phoenix's soft trembles became suddenly stronger as he searched frantically for a way to escape Brooklyn.

Wait, did he really thought to escape? He never ran away, never had.

But... he felt like he was trapped.

"If this is a threat, I am not afraid," he stated.

He hoped he looked enough convincing, because his voice really wasn't that much.

But he did not fear Brooklyn, he did **not**.

Brooklyn's serious expression turned into a sly smirk, eyes flashing with mirth and malice.

"Well… you should be," he stated, smirk growing.

Kai paled slightly; once more Brooklyn searched for his eyes, green clashing against crimson, and again, Kai found himself attracted by them. He rejected the feeling with all his being, but all the same something inside him ached in need for it.

The moment was broken by a well known voice, "Kai? Where are you?"

Kai snapped out of his shock and hastily pushed Brooklyn away, eager to go away, as far as he could from him; but he was able to glare in the general direction in which he knew Brooklyn was, sending a last remark, one of his usual, "stay away from me!" but was not able to turn properly, he did not want to meet the green pools.

Then he half ran towards Rei, the one who called for him.

Brooklyn stared with mild, bright eyes, as Kai reached the Neko-Jinn, and the two started speaking about something he could not hear, but he cared nothing.

Slowly he let himself lean against the same tree Kai was before, closing briefly his eyes, breathing deeply the warm air, then his green eyes opened once more, a sly grin making his appearance on his lips.

"But do you know what I like, Kai?" he whispered softly to no one, eyes sparkling with delight. "I like challenges…"

……………………………………………

"Kai… hell, you look like you were hit by a typhoon…" Rei laughed happily while he and the slate haired teen walked through the garden towards the main stadium. "And you know what? It took me a whole lot of thinking to figure out where you went. I wanted to speak to you, and…"

Kai wasn't hearing a single word Rei was saying. There was a loud buzzing in his ears and he couldn't concentrate, because before his opened eyes a single image continued plaguing him.

It was a Dark beast, even darker than Zeus would ever be. Eyes as red as blood, feathers of the deepest black, hatred and evilness emanating from her body…

That was it. The moment he saw Zeus, during his first match with Brooklyn, the sight of that beast made Kai remember another creature he longed to forget forever. They had the same hatred filled eyes, the same aura of evil around them, but contrariwise of him with Black Dranzer, Brooklyn could control Zeus.

At least he could most of the time. A slip off had been the battle against Tyson, and there Kai saw how much he and the orange haired freak were similar. But if Brooklyn did not realize the fierce strength of his Beast, otherwise Kai could.

He'd a Beast like Zeus, and it had been hard to get rid of it before it was too late.

Black Dranzer, she still haunted him in his sleep, and having to confront with Brooklyn, could only worsen things out. Not to mention Brooklyn himself was a cause of Kai's distress.

The slate haired teen still couldn't understand what scared him about the orange haired freak, but something had to…

Kai froze, not aware of Rei's confusion, and realized he actually thought he was scared by Brooklyn.

He wasn't, no one could scare him, no one…

"Kai, are you ok? Kai?"

Crimson eyes trailed down to his aching hands, flashes of the fight against _him_ once again showing up, and the trembling returned.

Every time the green eyes looked at him. Every time he heard the orange haired teen's voice. Every time he felt he was anywhere near…

Hurt.

He couldn't deny anymore the truth, not when every time he saw Brooklyn he lost control over himself.

"Kai? Why are you trembling! Kai, can you hear me!" Rei was trying without much luck, to shake his friend out of his trance, and was scared out of his wits in seeing Kai tremble, for no good reason.

Kai felt cold inside as he accepted an undeniable truth. He was deeply afraid of Brooklyn.

……………………………………………

**MasterFranny:** the first chapter is up. I have another idea for a BrooklynKai fic but I won't be working on it unless I finish some of my other stories before. If you are interested in them, I am a huge TalaKai lover and all my fics apart two are centred on this pairing.

Review please! Show me you care!


	2. Wandering

**MasterFranny:** so, I was shocked to see so many reviews for the first chapter, but also happy! I hope you will keep on reading this! Enjoy the chapter!

Oh, I see you all like Brooklyn being the dominant one. I don't see him much submissive unless with Garland –and Hitoshi, but I don't like the pairing– and Kai is my fav uke, so…

Nothing important in this, a little explaining on Brooklyn's part about his obsession and one on Kai's pain. And just to let you all know so you won't be confused, in the Italian version Brooklyn uses the line 'King of Darkness' not as the name of his attack but he calls Kai so. He says, _'Goodbye, King of Darkness…'_ before having Kai drown completely. He sounded sexy and hot this way, with his low and silky voice, so I will use this version. :)

Read my other fictions! XD

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**Rating**: T

**Summary:** Takes place after G-Rev. Kai still has some 'grudges' against Brooklyn, but the older teen is determined to erase them… Yaoi BrooklynKai and GarlandTala. May be hints of ReiMystel.

**Warning:** this contains Yaoi so if you don't like stop reading right now. Any flame regarding yaoi use of pairings will be handed to Hiei and Kai to be disposed of.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own. Otherwise there wouldn't be a second season like the one we had and there would be a side season filled with yaoi...

"Talking"

'_Thinking'_

"(Talking into other languages)"

–**Dreams sequences, flashbacks, memories–**

……………………………………………

**Alluring Darkness**

**Chapter 02 Wandering**

Brilliant green eyes merely stared, memorizing each and every detail, flashing with barely suppressed lust at the sight below him, down the hill; this had become his favourite place for his favourite pastime, which could be obviously recognized as Kai–watching.

Maybe others would laugh at this choice of words, but in his mind, Brooklyn referred to his activity with these words.

Kai–watching… yes, that was the thing he loved to do the most. Ever since their first meeting the orange haired blader had developed something akin to interest in Kai, and this was a first.

Previously Brooklyn had been interested in nature; he would spend entire days lying in the grass, feeling it nuzzle his arms and neck and face, breathing cool and fresh air, observing the life of the little animals he saw around him –butterflies, bugs, birds… he could admire the way the breeze caused the trees to shake and rustle, the way a little ladybug could climb onto a stem, the way sun brightened up some butterfly's coloured wings.

He felt peaceful and contented, lost in his own little world of animals, trees and solitude.

He had never been attracted by his fellow humans. Humans were noisy, clumsy, and enjoyed destroying the nature he loved so much; obviously he ignored them. They were also mean with him, always ganging up against him because he was always the best, he never failed, he was better than them all. People alike, adults and children, picked up on him.

He developed a shell that lasted till he met with Boris and Garland; the first appreciated him and his skills for what they were, the latter respected him and became his first friend. He never yelled or become furious when Brooklyn defeated him in a fight of any kind.

BeyBlade was a way like another to try and enjoy something, like he was never able to.

Then, here he came.

Kai.

Despite meeting during the selections for the BEGA team, Brooklyn had seen Kai before, the day in which Hitoshi –Tyson's older brother– started to train him. By the way, he disliked Hitoshi completely. He used Brooklyn as bait to test Tyson's strength, to see how much he could achieve with a talented opponent… just like Boris used him as a weapon to defeat his enemies.

Both saw their plans backfire as Tyson did not beat Brooklyn, and Brooklyn did not beat Tyson –it ended up as a tie.

No one ever defeated Brooklyn.

Not until Kai showed up, at least.

Despite his fake attention to Hitoshi's requests of launching a bey –he'd been really a pester– Brooklyn's attention had been attracted by some commotion in the higher stage, and as he peered up, using as a distraction Hitoshi's bewilderment when the rock he threw Zeus at broke completely, he had seen the slate haired teen standing there, eyes fixed on Garland who was speaking.

Crimson, burning eyes, two shark fin marks on each cheek, painted blue, hair of two tones, and a cool behaviour.

Ever since then, Brooklyn started watching him; he doubted Kai had ever seen him stare –or should it be, spy– at him as he trained, as he just wandered around.

At first, Brooklyn merely looked. There was something in the teen's behaviour that confused him greatly, but he couldn't understand what, partly because this was the first time he actually took interest in a person, and partly because he was _strange_.

After coming to know his name, Hiwatari Kai, Brooklyn decided to see what it was all about and managed to get into the selection in the same division of him.

Their fight troubled the orange haired teen even more, because it had been so easy to beat Kai that he thought he was wrong into taking interest in him.

But as their battle continued Brooklyn found rather appealing to hurt Kai, to mortify him, to show him how he'll never be –perfect.

Somehow he liked the feeling. Because for once he'd expected… someone to be at his level. And Kai disappointed him.

Kai… the King of Darkness. There was obviously darkness inside his heart, maybe even more than in Brooklyn's.

But this was not enough. Brooklyn kept on training –to be truthful, faking his training, he didn't need it anyway– but Kai was still plaguing his mind. For the first time he'd felt rather… upset for the victory. He found no joy in beating Kai.

It had been with surprise and shock –and almost… satisfaction– he'd greeted Kai's return to the team, this being the first time ever someone had fought against the darkness of Zeus' attack and successfully resurfaced.

To his surprise, Kai challenged him again. He didn't like fighting with the same person he once defeated, but all the same he was curious about how Kai planned to 'defeat' him.

He also liked to be curious, he'd never been interested in a person and Kai picked his attention once again.

So they battled.

He'd been sure about beating him, defeating him again, mortifying him and banishing him into the shadows… but as the match continued Brooklyn found himself more and more troubled by the way the crimson haired teen's reacted. He did not give up. He kept on standing and fighting back each attack Brooklyn sent to him.

And in the end, Kai won.

It had been Brooklyn's first defeat; Kai, the same Kai that he'd taken interest on, defeated him.

Brooklyn couldn't accept that. Even if his disappointment about Kai disappeared a different feeling took its place –rage. How dare he, beat the perfection!

He closed his consciousness deep inside himself to try and find out what he lacked of, what could make the perfection lose.

Kai's face plagued his nightmares, whilst he couldn't even understand why being defeated in a stupid game could hurt his pride so much. The slate haired teen's eyes burnt inside his memory, his voice saying despite his perfection, he lacked in passion.

Brooklyn never had any passion. He kept on living without really appreciating anything apart nature itself, and closing his real self, his heart, his needs, inside himself, because others would only mock him and reject him… in fact, he was perfect. He was hated, despised, envied.

But Kai held something inside him that attracted Brooklyn even more, even after their fight. Kai had passion.

Brooklyn lusted over his passion… lusted over _him_.

Brooklyn was obsessed by Kai, and his obsession resulted in him losing control of Zeus. Being a holy Beast and one of the stronger ones, Zeus had a dark side as well, that Brooklyn had no control on. Boris knew this, and fuelled his anger, his desire of revenge, to burn against Tyson.

But Tyson was nothing compared to Kai, his passion was not enough, so Brooklyn's anger only widened. Tyson was not a worthy opponent, for how much he'd helped him calm down and offered him friendship, he was nothing to Brooklyn.

He wanted to beat Tyson to prove to Kai he was no failure.

To prove his defeat was a mistake.

After having calmed down, after Zeus' dark power subsided once again in the nothingness and Boris' plan had backfired, Brooklyn found with surprise his interest for Kai had deepened.

Turned into a deep obsession.

Turned into lust.

Turned into desire.

Turned into…

"Kai!" Brooklyn snapped out of his thoughts to stare down from his position on the top of the hill, from where he was staring at the slate haired teen –sprawled with grace on the grass.

A raven haired blader was waving his hand at Kai, his long ponytail swaying in the air as he ran –well, more like bounced– towards the slate haired teen, who looked up like a deer caught in the highlights.

Brooklyn sighed, something had scared off his prey and now he would close up the walls he built up around others and cool away.

Shaking his head, Brooklyn slowly walked away, wishing he could have spent more time Kai–watching.

……………………………………………

Relaxing his sore muscles against the soft grass, the slate haired teen lowered his hands on his chest, stiffening when a jolt of pain sparkled from his fingers to his entire frame; he gritted his teeth and willed his tenseness away.

Kai tried in vain to rest. After what had happened the day before with Brooklyn and Rei, the latter had never stopped bothering him, no matter how much Kai would state he was fine.

Not that he really was fine, but he didn't think he could stand him or Tala worrying over him like mother hens.

His hands still hurt, even more than the previous day, but he believed it to be temporarily; he subconsciously knew some part of him was damaged after his fight with Brooklyn, but he dealt with worse things during his life at the Abbey, so he tried to ignore the pain as he was used to.

Though, for how much he tried to ignore the pain, the feeling of dread and the cold, this was not like before.

He knew the pain was not just physical –that, he could deal with– but also mental. As for the physical, he knew something was wrong with his hands. His nerves were not responding correctly as they should, twitching and sending twinges of pain through his entire body every time he tried to move his fingers to grab something, be it small or big. He usually had them resting at his sides, trying not to move them too much.

The strain of the fight, mixed with the attacks Brooklyn kept on firing at him, caused his nerves to collapse. Now even grabbing a pen was painful, and virtually impossible.

As for the second thing, it was easily understandable.

He couldn't blade.

Not just because he couldn't hold a launcher enough to put the bey into it and pull the ripcord, but also because each time he tried, he would remember.

Remember the place Brooklyn sent him into.

Remember the despair. Remember all the training he suffered and that he was forced to relive under the force of Zeus' attack.

A sense of panic hit him every time he looked at Dranzer, the Phoenix being his only friend to know, and not able to help in any way. Just having to keep Dranzer's bey near him caused a jolt of fright to run through him. How could he ever launch a bey again? Causing the pain of the creature that had been his best friend all his life, causing the pain towards himself? He wasn't sadistic. He didn't like hurting himself, unless it was meant as training.

This was why he'd ditched Tyson and the training ever since the last day of the tournament. This was why he'd given Rei the task to make sure Tyson and the others would train. Even if it wasn't sure whether they would end up together again in an eventual tournament, they still were under his leadership and thus, it was his responsibility.

He couldn't. He simply couldn't.

Maybe Boris would say he was weak, and he wouldn't be alone in saying this –nor would he be wrong.

He was weak.

But right now, his fear was too great, and he cared nothing about his weakness. He simply couldn't launch a beyblade again.

Not now, maybe never.

It didn't help he felt he was being observed. Maybe he'd become too paranoid, because it couldn't be. He obviously had been struck hard by the battle.

"Kai!"

His peace was broken by Rei's voice, and he sat up straight, cursing slightly under his breath against his luck.

"What," he grudgingly huffed, as the raven haired Chinese approached bouncing. Though, a sad expression was on his face as he approached –and how could Rei still bounce even if sad, this was beyond the crimson eyed teen's comprehension.

"I came to tell you goodbye," Rei held a tone of sadness in his voice as he slumped near the older blader with a sigh. "I will have to go back to China and I have been saying my goodbyes ever since I found out".

Kai frowned, "are you?"

Rei scowled, "I don't want to, you know, I found many things I like here, and I was planning on staying some more, but Tyson can't offer me a place in the dojo because he's already having Daichi stay…" he sighed. "With all the money Mr. Dickinson is forced to spend with the restructuring of the new BBA headquarters, he can't rent me a house, plus I am not this rich… so I am forced into going back to China".

He shuddered, thinking about a certain pink ribbon that was currently waiting for him to go back almost maniacally. She'd taken into her hands the matter of seducing Rei –which caused said teen to shudder in disgust every time he thought about it– and the village approved of this… they wanted to engage the two of them! And Rei was against it, with all his might.

Kai bit his upper lip, thinking about a conversation he previously had with Tala concerning a similar argument.

–**Start FlashBack–**

"Kai…" Tala whined –yes, _whined._

Who could have known the leader of the Blitzkrieg Boys could do such a low acting as whining?

…

Kai would.

"Wha?" the slate haired teen restrained himself from the urge to cringe at his friend's acting and sighed, knowing this would happen.

He preferred later than now, though.

"Bryan and Spencer returned to Russia yesterday… they rented a house together…" Tala chugged down a bottle of water with a grimace. "I am left all alone here…"

The two of them were standing outside a gym, in which they previously had a training session, and now were walking back to the hotel in which Tala and the Blitzkrieg Boys had been staying. Well, Tala trained. Kai faked training and instead had taken some painkiller pills using a commotion as distraction not to have the red head spot him.

Kai rolled his eyes, wondering at the same time how he could lure Tala into opening a bottle of water for him as well without the red head realizing Kai couldn't even grip it steadily.

"You decided to stay here in the first place, not even bothering to find where you could stay" he said wisely. "Why don't you go back to Russia and live with Spencer, Bryan and Ian? I am sure they'll be happy".

Tala turned his azure eyes to him, almost pouting –almost.

"I don't want to go back to Russia… the cold place. Here better," he whined again, trying to resemble a small child pouting –all in vain. "I don't have a place to go there… I don't belong…"

Kai grimaced, "I suppose you was counting on renting an apartment from Mr. Dickinson, and linger around, right?"

Tala nodded pointedly.

"But you didn't realize he would be moneyless because of the new BBA headquarters," Kai added with a small smirk.

"I was still recovering in hospital! I was _crippled!_" Tala exaggerated waving his arms around, sending water flying everywhere.

"Watch out!" Kai covered his face with his arm to prevent himself to be drenched. "You Tragedy Queen… I suppose you are here because you, the almighty Tala Ivanov, want me, Kai Hiwatari, to let you stay in my house, in my big, enormous house, with a giant garden, maids and butlers ready to serve you, training floors, and spare bedrooms".

Tala's eyes shone, "you would do that for me Kai?" he blinked. "And for free, too?" he grasped Kai's hand with his –Kai visibly flinched but the red head, too caught up in his satisfaction, didn't notice. "Oh, Kai! You're the nicest person I ever met… well, technically not the nicest, I think that may be Rei, but still, you're great!"

"Hey! Who said I…"

"I'm gonna take my bags, will you wait for me outside? Thanks! Kai, I owe you one!"

With this he left a distressed Phoenix back, entering the hotel he couldn't afford –since before it had been paid by the BBA– to take his things.

Kai sighed and his shoulders slumped in defeat, knowing he couldn't stop the red head freak now. He also wondered if he would be able to put a decent cover of his hands hurting.

Damn Tala.

–**End FlashBack–**

If he had already accepted Tala in, he could as well, allow Rei to live with him all the same, knowing it couldn't be really _that_ bad.

He only had to take some more painkillers than before, and hope the two of them would _not_ find out.

Why should he worry them?

"Rei?" Kai looked pointedly at the raven haired blader, bracing himself for what he was going to say, "If you don't mind sharing with Tala as well, though the hose is big enough for you two not to see each other much, I can offer you to stay at my house".

Rei blinked.

Then blinked again.

"You… you are saying I can stay with you?" Rei looked at Kai, with bright, hopeful eyes, "So not to see Mariah? Not to be forced to be engaged with her? _Free!_"

Kai raised one eyebrow, "er… yes, I mean this… I think".

Rei leaped. Faster than light, he bounced on Kai, and it took all Kai's will power to not fall on the ground –and he managed to keep his hands out of reach.

"Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! You saved my life! My saviour!" Rei hugged him so tightly Kai found himself unable to breath, and pried the Neko–Jin away from him.

"Jeez, Rei".

"But… are you sure you can have another guest? Is your house big enough for three?"

Kai snickered –Rei did not know where Kai lived, so he was clueless about how _big_ it really was.

In fact, he was glad he was not going to live inside it alone anymore.

"Come on, pick your things up, I'll show you where it is".

……………………………………………

"Huge…"

"Eh… Rei?"

"… Huge…"

"Rei? You are scaring me".

Rei looked away from the very big manor Kai indicated as his house, and stared with wide eyes at him, astonished.

"You live **here**!" he pointed with his fingers at the _huge_ house.

"Well, yes, technically I do live in here. I thought you wouldn't know, but Rei, my grandfather is rich. Awfully rich. He's in jail now, so… I own all of this".

Rei squealed like a fan girl as he followed Kai inside his huge garden, his huge patio, his huge entrance corridor, his huge lounge, and the nice, comfortable and not too huge kitchen, where they were met with the sight of the red head eating a snack with a book on his knees.

"Mh? Mh! Phey!" Tala swallowed his mouthful and started to choke, before resuming his coolness –almost.

"I think he means, 'oh! Rei!'," Kai rolled his eyes. "Tala, I invited Rei here".

Tala cocked his head and looked at them for a while, "really? As in, staying here for a while?"

"No, as in, staying here as long as you are going to" Kai snickered.

"Ah, ok," Tala was a little hesitant, so Rei stepped towards him with a smile.

If he'd once been afraid of him, during the first world tournament, now things had changed. Rei had seen Tala's acting during the problem with the BEGA and his hatred towards Boris and what the man forced him to do, and what his hatred caused him –a month in coma.

Rei admired Tala.

"I hope we will get along fine," he said warmly.

The red haired teen was left baffled for a while, before a thin smile appeared on his lips. Tala turned to his book. "Welcome in, Rei. I hope you will be the one to cook from now on".

Kai, who had been relieved and happy about them acting nicely towards each other, narrowed his eyes suspicious, "Tala? What did you do?"

"I had an argument with the cook… sorry, she resigned herself".

Kai groaned and would have slapped his forehead if his hand hadn't hurt too much to do so.

"Gods".

"I'll happily cook!" Rei butted in. "I love cooking and I want to repay you for offering me a place to stay!"

Three minutes later the kitchen was filled with a delicious smell of food, and Tala's mouth was watering as he tried to focus on Kai, who was explaining him about Rei's situation.

"(It's not that bad, I am glad he's here,)" Tala admitted privately. "(I always thought the cat was gifted –after all, Bryan was defeated by him)".

Kai smirked and for the first time in the last few days, he felt life could be actually good.

……………………………………………

**MasterFranny:** I have the plot already decided, I only have to write it down. There will be more angsty going on. This was just a useless chapter…

Review me! Make me happy!

Oh… I know Brooklyn looked like he was just interested in Kai the way he would with a bird or a bug, but that's… what I wanted it to look like! I mean, Brooklyn has never been interested in a person, so he doesn't know how to react to this. He'll understand soon enough. I promise!

URGENT QUESTION: It's about Garland. What is his hair's colour? And his eyes? I mean, it's ugly to keep calling him the fighter blader, and Apollon's wielder. PLEASE, ANSWER ME!


	3. Plotting

**MasterFranny:** I was up to writing another chapter. I am in a really good mood lately ne?

More so because I received so many reviews I was stunned and to reward all of you I decided to post more!

Well, in this one Brooklyn is his usual super–intelligent mode… plotting, plotting. Anyone feels the sarcasm in here? Enjoy and don't forget to review!

A little look inside Brooklyn past as well.

Oh, after many of you answered me about Garland, and having found the only one Garland image that couldn't help me, I decided to use teal hair and turquoise eyes. I will change that if someone tells me the real colours and is _sure_ about them. Otherwise, let's stick with those…

……………………………………………

**Rating**: T

**Summary:** Takes place after G-Rev. Kai still has some 'grudges' against Brooklyn, but the older teen is determined to erase them… Yaoi BrooklynKai and GarlandTala. May be hints of ReiMystel.

**Warning:** this contains Yaoi so if you don't like stop reading right now. Any flame regarding yaoi use of pairings will be handed to Hiei and Kai to be disposed of.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own. Otherwise there wouldn't be a second season like the one we had and there would be a side season filled with yaoi...

"Talking"

'_Thinking'_

"(Talking into other languages)"

–**Dreams sequences, flashbacks, memories–**

……………………………………………

**Alluring Darkness**

**Chapter 03 Plotting**

He had planned it all down to the minimum detail.

His mind, being fairly more 'advanced' than the ones owned by normal, stupid mortals, came up with the perfect plan… as he had expected it to. Maybe, hadn't been Kai the target of his plotting, his mind would have been faster into forming a plan, this adding to his conviction that Kai was somehow special.

He thought about it little by little, and now he was setting his plain into action. Mind, he wasn't satisfied into Kai–watching anymore, he wanted to observe the slate haired blader from a more comfortable place.

And take his watching and admiring to a new level.

So, how could he do this?

Who was closer to Kai, and reachable?

The Russian teen who always wandered around the slate haired teen, the one with red hair that Garland once defeated –his name was Tala Ivanov.

But Tala, for some unknown reason, acted around others as if he was entirely made of ice, except around Kai, and to Brooklyn this resembled a lot a close friendship.

Tala would not let him near Kai because Brooklyn made Dranzer die, and caused pain to the younger teen.

Next would be the raven haired blader, the one from the BladeBreakers Revolution team, a Chinese that Mystel had known in China. His name was Rei, and though Kai looked cold with him, the two shared some sort of close friendship similar to the one Tala and Kai had, not as strong, but still.

But Rei didn't look like the forgiving one, even if he was up to befriend the BEGA team, so Brooklyn had to show him he meant no harm to any of them. This could take long, and Brooklyn was patient enough, but it wouldn't work out if he was nowhere to start befriending him.

Rei was the option for the second stage of his plan, whilst Tala was for the third.

As for the first stage though, there was only one person that could accomplish the task Brooklyn wanted to achieve.

Tyson Granger.

The perfect specimen, Tyson Granger was a loud mouth, loved food and hated school, hated everything sport–related, hated waking up at normally hours –settling for unhealthy ones such as eleven AM, midday– and worshipped BeyBlade.

Brooklyn felt a light loath towards Tyson, firstly because the loud mouth dared to think he could beat him, secondly because he was the cause of Zeus' insanity… together with Hitoshi and Boris fuelling his anger towards Kai.

But Tyson, despite all his stupid defects, all the things he lacked of, was an acquaintance of Kai. Kai, despite his clear loath for Tyson, was still hanging around him and forgave him quite easily, shaking his head and muttering curses under his breath, because honestly, no one could resist to Tyson's imploring and quite disgusting whines.

Tyson was Kai's rival. Kai wanted to defeat Tyson, thus why he ditched off Tyson's team thrice –as people told him– to try and beat the crap out of the loud mouth. And despite the loath, Kai actually held some sort of light respect for the Dragon wielder.

Thus why Brooklyn would need to get in Tyson's graces to get near Kai.

Perfect. He had a perfect plan, which involved Garland –unsuspecting ally and bait– and Tyson –the stupidity incarnated into a human.

So, as he calmly walked to Garland's room, he put on his usual mask of gentleness. Not that he wasn't. It was not an act; he was _really_ a nice person… usually. Kai triggered the sly and devious side of him.

He used to fake complete indifference and carelessness because this way people would underestimate him –no matter brains or IQ… if you act like a careless idiot, people will think you are.

And he had Garland wrapped around his little finger.

Friendship was good.

"Oh, Brooklyn," Garland was doing his morning exercises in the private gym his family owned, and was at the moment resting for a moment before resuming his training. "I was wondering where you were!"

Yes, Brooklyn was currently living with Garland in the latter's house. Brooklyn parents, being overly busy with their own lives, never really cared about their little genius infant, satisfied in having him watched by nannies and baby–sitters all his childhood. The two were archaeological researchers, and for how much they had wanted the baby, once he was born both lost interest and spent more time in trips around the world than with their offspring.

Not to mention neither knew about his high IQ, otherwise they would have used him as a lab rat. Little Brooklyn had realized it at an early age and proceeded to hide his intelligence when he was with his caretakers and the baby–sitters.

After his sixteenth year, people started being interested in him, so he spent all day in his house or in the garden; when some scientists came home and asked his parents if they could do some experiment on him they agreed with no second though.

Brooklyn knew his parents were ignoring him, but he was intelligent enough to find a way out: he accused them of being uncaring and asked to be left alone. At the age of seventeen, one year till his legal age, Garland's parents were given his custody. Even when he reached legal age, Apollon's wielder let him stay. Now he was nineteen, and was still living with Garland.

The teal haired teen had been his first and until now only friend, and had helped him and even protected him from people.

Brooklyn respected Garland –and for someone like him, this was a great achievement– and felt like the teen was almost a brother for him.

"I was just… thinking," Brooklyn mildly replied, smiling warmly at his friend.

The turquoise eyed teen nodded and wiped some sweat from his brow.

"You like to wander around lately… you usually spend more time in our garden," he commented before stretching his back. "Are you restless?"

Brooklyn was expecting this question from Garland, since he usually took care of him. Garland worried over him like a mother hen.

"No, Garland, I am not restless," he replied quietly. "But… you see, it was nice to have other people not considering me a freak around".

Garland's eyes softened up –as again Brooklyn had expected– and with a smile, he suggested, "why don't we go to Tyson's? I am sure he'll be happy to see us".

Brooklyn smiled brightly, his green eyes shining up with happiness, and Garland smiled as well, though for another reason.

As the teal haired blader lead the way, Brooklyn followed him a few feet behind, a satisfied smirk on his lips.

……………………………………………

"Tyson! Tyson, yah have guests!"

An arm peered from the blankets and rudely gestured towards the general direction he though his grandfather was, even if he knew he was downstairs and couldn't see it, before disappearing back under the sheets. A groan could be heard as a mass of unruly, blue hair emerged in the place the hand had disappeared, followed by a sleepy face.

Big, clouded eyes opened briefly before shutting close again, a loud trail of incoherent curses left his mouth.

"Tyson! Yah lazy bum!"

Tyson groaned again, before slowly sitting up on the bed, scratching his head yawning, "I'm awake, I'm awake! Jeez grandpa, you're really nasty! Who's so damn stupid to wakeup at such hours!"

"Tyson, come on, it's almost eleven o'clock!" came the voice of Tyson's brother, Hitoshi. "You can't stay all day in bed!"

"Try me" Tyson mumbled, but lazily stood up and made his way downstairs, sniffing the air to search for the kitchen with closed eyes –that was the only thing that kept him awake during the mornings.

As he entered the kitchen he launched himself on the breakfast that was on the table, blatantly ignoring the so called 'guests' until he was finished.

A clear laugh reached his ears and he growled indignantly, glaring half–heartedly at the three people laughing at him –his brother, and… Garland and Brooklyn!

"Oy guys!" his frown disappeared and was replaced by a huge grin, "whatcha doing here?"

Garland stopped laughing and stared at Brooklyn, who was currently smiling but had his attention turned to another thing. Then the orange haired teen stood up and with a little polite bowl he calmly walked outside. Hitoshi and Garland knew he had seen something that had attracted his attention.

The fighter blader turned to the loud mouth, and sighed, "Brooklyn wanted to be around someone that would not call him freak," he admitted.

He was met by the confused face of Tyson and the frowns of both Grandpa Granger and Hitoshi, so he settled down to properly explain about Brooklyn and his intelligence, which caused so much pain to him.

Outside the room Brooklyn let out a renewed satisfied smirk as he leaned against the wall. He didn't mind Garland telling Tyson about his childhood, because there was nothing anyone could do about it, besides, he'd expected this to happen as well. Garland was really predictable. And he knew Tyson was too much of the good guy to start acting nasty with Brooklyn.

The only thing that bothered him, even if only slightly, was the fact that Hitoshi was there too. Hitoshi acted as if nothing was wrong, as if nothing happened between them when in fact it did –Hitoshi betrayed the light trust Brooklyn had in him by fuelling his anger, making him lose his control.

But he could ignore this as long as his plan succeeded –even though, he'd seen how Hitoshi looked at Kai.

He had to act, soon.

But right now, as his plan was moving its first steps, there was something else he had to take care of.

From the window in Tyson's kitchen Brooklyn saw Rei coming in the dojo.

Stage one completed, now it was the turn of the second part.

……………………………………………

"(Tala…)" Kai sighed in defeat as Tala dragged him towards the stadium, realizing nothing would stop the Wolf from taking him to blade. Now, onto the matter…

'_How can I trick him?'_ Kai wondered; it could have been easier tell Tala about his problems, but admitting it aloud would mean weakness. Could he be damned if he allowed someone other than himself to know he was weak. Especially Tala, one of his closer and older friends, ever since childhood; he couldn't tell him nor anybody else, not after all the problems the two of them had to reform their friendship.

Kai had to reformulate his inner question, _'how can I hide him my situation without lying to him?'_

Tala was pointing towards one of the bey dishes, already preparing Wolborg in its launcher, and Kai slowly positioned himself at the other end, his breath becoming irregular.

A flicker at the corner of his eyes made Kai tense, as he looked down at his hands. They were trembling slightly, and he forced them to still, which caused a stream of pain to run through them up to his head.

He couldn't…

Dranzer sent a small amount of warmth through the bey to Kai's cold body, but the teen did not register the caring gesture, because he was lost deep within himself.

He couldn't help it, after his fight with Brooklyn, the darkness encircling his heart deepened and became stronger. It was harder to keep at bay, it was harder to forget, and it was harder to bear… the same darkness that caught him whilst he was drowning in the endless despair caused by Zeus.

The same darkness that Black Dranzer evoked in him.

Maybe he wasn't free from the darkness. Maybe he was still drowning into it, and would never resurface again; he would never resurface fully from it.

There wasn't any way to escape…

Trrrrrrrrrrrrr…

Kai slowly forced himself away from his dread, shuddering, and realized his phone was trembling in the pocket of his pants. He managed to suppress a wince as he pulled out the phone from his pocket and opened it after having almost dropped it on the floor.

"Moshi moshi?" he almost grimaced at his rasp voice.

"Kai? Is that you? Oh man, I'm glad I dialled the right phone number!" Kai groaned lightly, recognizing Tyson's voice on the other end, but inwardly he absentmindedly thanked him. He'd effectively shaken him out of his darkness. Maybe he would have to really thank him later. "I tried five times and always got it wrong… I kinda forgot the last two numbers, you know…" Tyson was still rambling, but at least now Kai was focused and his mind was clear and perceptive again. "Hey, I wanted to ask you if you would come here later this day, I dunno, to spend sometime with us… you never come along lately, and we all miss you! We can have a sleepover!"

Kai's left eye twitched.

He was going to thank Tyson, but he wasn't looking for this meeting. And seriously he wasn't going to go to a sleepover.

"Rei said you hadn't enough place," he commented. "Where are you going to have people sleep in?"

Tyson's laugh attracted Tala's attention, even if he was quite away from Kai–just to tell you how much Tyson was loud. The red haired teen raised one eyebrow with a faint amusement clear in his azure eyes.

"Grandpa doesn't have any spare room, but is willingly to let us use his dojo if only for a night," Tyson chuckled. "So? You coming? I was planning it for tomorrow!"

Kai looked blankly at Tala. Even if neither of them –nor Tala nor Tyson– knew it, he felt in debt with the dragon wielder, because he saved him from a confrontation with Tala.

Thus… "Tala's coming as well," he said.

If he had to be dragged in the chaos that was Tyson's house, he would drag his friend down with him.

"Tala's coming as well… where?" the red head looked suspiciously at Kai as the latter smirked at him.

"Really! Oh, I'm glad Kai! See you tomorrow then!"

Kai, despite the pain of shutting the phone down and placing it back in his pocket, couldn't but smirk at Tala's utterly shocked face, "we're going to Tyson's tomorrow for a sleepover" he stated, making his way towards the exit. "I suggest you to start packing things up…"

And he left, chuckling under his breath at the indignation clear on Tala's face.

……………………………………………

"Are you sure about having Kai here as well?" Garland frowned as he sipped his tea.

Instead of going outside with Brooklyn, who was currently having a nice, polite speech with Rei, Garland decided to stay in the kitchen and was offered with a hot tea cup, which he gladly accepted.

Tyson was there was well, not because of the tea, but because he had phoned Kai Hiwatari to invite him at his house for the sleepover he was going to have. Hitoshi was there as well, sipping his own tea with plenty of milk, looking quite interested.

"Why?" Tyson looked at the teal haired teen with a confused expression, before sitting down. He wanted to go outside since Brooklyn and Rei were there, as well as Daichi, but was curious about Garland's reaction.

"Brooklyn doesn't like Kai," he stated. "Not after their fight".

Tyson's eyes lit up in understanding, "oh, I knew this, but it's time for both of them to come to terms with each other…" then Tyson smirked, "I could say the same for you and Tala –he's coming as well".

Garland froze.

Tala –the red haired blader that tried with all his might to stop Boris before it was too late, but failed and ended up in hospital for one month, in coma, because of Garland.

"You two should apologize to each other," Hitoshi stated, smirking quite amused. "He was in the right side, whilst you didn't know you were in the wrong".

Garland had to nod. His stubborn side caused a person to suffer, and now he wanted to apologize to him. He hadn't intended to use so much strength to stop Tala, but the latter hit on his nerves and caused his exaggerate reaction.

"I have to apologize," he muttered darkly under his breath. "It was my fault he got hurt".

Tyson stood up again, "I'm going outside to tell the others about the sleepover… wanna come?"

"No, thanks, I'm going to finish my tea," Garland lifted his head and smiled at the Dragon wielder, "and I would love to visit this dojo if I can," he added.

Both Tyson and Hitoshi saw the glint in Grandpa Granger's eyes and both shuddered, taking a step back.

"Good luck," Hitoshi murmured in Garland's ear as he passed by, leaving the kitchen followed by his younger brother.

"Wha?" Garland hadn't even the time to understand the meaning of his words before Grandpa Granger dawned on him, eyes glinting evilly. "Wah!"

Outside, Tyson shook his head in pity, "he was a good guy," he sighed. Hitoshi agreed with a nod.

"Tyson, hi!" Rei smiled at him and with a smile to Brooklyn he approached the bluenette. "Brooklyn said there was Garland too… where is he?"

"Grandpa killed him," Tyson said.

"Wha!" Rei widened his eyes in shock.

"No, it's just that… Garland asked to visit the dojo," Hitoshi smirked, and Rei calmed down –almost. "Oh, I understand" he commented. "Poor Garland".

Brooklyn frowned in confusion, but said nothing and kept on ignoring Daichi, who was jumping around like a monkey.

"I was thinking about having a sleepover tomorrow," Tyson smiled to Rei and Brooklyn, "wanna join?"

"Yes, of course!" Daichi kept on bouncing, and laughing madly in the background.

"… yes," Rei looked at the monkey with a scared look, "but refrain yourself from giving Daichi –and Max by the way– too much sugar ok?"

Tyson laughed sheepishly.

"I would be glad to," Brooklyn smiled warmly, "I like the company of you all" he added after a moment.

Now, Tyson, he thought, don't disappoint me…

"I invited Kai and Tala as well, and Max will be there too, and I will try with Mystel –if I find him" Tyson smiled brightly.

Brooklyn felt a satisfied smirk appear on his face and he swiftly turned it into a smile. He didn't want to freak his friends out.

No one noticed the glint in Rei's eyes when Tyson mentioned Mystel's name.

"I will try to find him," the raven haired blader said, then he waved and walked away.

……………………………………………

Rei let a smirk grace his features as he walked around the city, enjoying the sun on his back and the warmth: this was a wonderful day.

Now, where to find Mystel?

The raven haired blader wasn't going to deny he had a deep feeling for the Egyptian blader, this being the cause of his sudden desire to go and find him. Ever since their first meeting, in the Chinese village, Rei had known Mystel was special.

Clear blond and unruly hair, that Mystel used to keep tied in a plait, deep cobalt eyes sparkling with happiness; Rei loved the brightness those eyes possessed. Mystel used to hide his face under his golden mask, but after the BEGA tournament he'd stopped using it, contented in wandering around –floating around was a better word– enjoying the warmth.

Rei loved how Mystel's frame was outlined by his Egyptian clothes, the mix of blue and white with the golden ornaments giving him the appearance of a God.

When did Rei realize he loved Mystel?

Well, he couldn't tell. He felt like he'd known Mystel for a long time and all he wanted was to have him in his arms.

A dream damn hard to accomplish, since Mystel liked to come and go, disappearing and reappearing like the wind he seemed to control. Rei was really proud of his own skills that allowed him to move with a cat's grace and to be silent and deathly, but Mystel's skills were just… beautiful. He looked like a bird; nothing could keep him too much in one place.

Rei vowed he would become the reason of Mystel staying there.

He vowed he would conquer the blond Egyptian's heart, even if that meant he would have to woo him incessantly.

Kai often said Rei was a very possessive kind of person, and Rei had to admit he really was. He wanted Mystel all for himself, and by the way Mystel looked at him –shyly blushing and fidgeting– the Neko–Jin was positive he felt something for him as well.

He was just too shy and timid, and Rei was to make sure his little innocent Egyptian was going to admit his feelings and accept his love.

'_Now, where to start searching for my lovable blond God?'_ he merrily thought, smiling and looking around.

……………………………………………

**MasterFranny:** so? Did you like this chapter? I have to focus more on the other two couples… oh, and, I find this chapter pretty funny, especially the first part. Brooklyn is cool.

REVIEW!

Oh, and, please, don't hate Brooklyn. I love him like this! He's not bad, he's just… smart. Deviously smart… however he'll be nicer laters on.

Another seemingly pointless chapter, but it is not! I swear! Tyson's sleepover will prove to be worthy the waiting:)

JUST REVIEW AND YOU'LL SEE!


	4. Of Sleepovers and Apologizes

**Explaining:** Dranzer _did_ die, but being a Phoenix, she was reborn shortly after. Thus why I said Brooklyn killed her.

**MasterFranny:** I love you reviewers! You keep on feeding me with lovely reviews… and I will keep feeding you with chapters:P

I mean, I received so many reviews, I felt I owed you this fast update, despite what I previously said. I hope you enjoy and wait, next chapter, the actual worthless sleepover.

And… I changed slightly the plot to fit with what I wrote last chapter. Hitoshi was not even contemplated in it before, but now he's a good obstacle for Brooklyn so I'll keep him up.

……………………………………………

**Rating**: T

**Summary:** Takes place after G-Rev. Kai still has some 'grudges' against Brooklyn, but the older teen is determined to erase them… Yaoi BrooklynKai and GarlandTala, ReiMystel.

**Warning:** this contains Yaoi so if you don't like stop reading right now. Any flame regarding yaoi use of pairings will be handed to Hiei and Kai to be disposed of.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own. Otherwise there wouldn't be a second season like the one we had and there would be a side season filled with yaoi...

"Talking"

'_Thinking'_

"(Talking into other languages)"

–**Dreams sequences, flashbacks, memories–**

……………………………………………

**Alluring Darkness**

**Chapter 04 Of Sleepovers and apologizes…**

"(Again, tell me why I have to come as well,)" Tala pleaded, grabbing Kai's shoulder with a scowl.

Said slate haired teen brushed the hand away with a shrug and turned to the red haired teen with a small smirk playing on his lips.

"(I said Tyson you would be here,)" he reasoned. "(Not to mention, you can't really think I am going to go there –_alone_)".

"(But there is already _Rei_!)" To prove his point Tala looked at the Neko–Jin, who was lost in his little world of devious thoughts about a certain Egyptian, and didn't notice the attention he was receiving.

Kai turned to look at the red head with pity, "(Rei will be faaar away from here, by the time he spots his little bird,)" to prove his point, he turned to Rei and with a casual voice he stated, loud enough to be clearly heard, "Hey, isn't that one Mystel?"

Rei's eyes lit up with a mischievous sparkle as he jumped up, "where? Where?" he started looking around frantically, under the surprised gaze of Tala and the knowingly one of Kai.

"(Is that so?)" Tala sweatdropped and sighed. "(Then, I understand)".

"Nope, I think I was wrong, Mystel is not around…" Kai smiled lightly, faking sheepishly, and Rei glared at him, "… yet".

"Wha? What do you know!" Rei almost jumped on Kai.

"Well, I met Mystel while I was going down the river…" Kai suddenly found himself pinned under a very, very hyper Rei, "you did tell him about the sleepover right! Right!"

Kai chuckled lightly, inwardly wondering how he could pin Rei of himself without using his hands –that, by the way, were not hurting as much as before. He decided to smile smugly at the raven haired blader, who widened his eyes and let go of him in shock.

"You… you did, right?"

Knowing he was keeping Rei on the verge of breaking down Kai let his smirk widen, but in the end, at the look the Chinese blader was giving him –plainly pathetic and pleadingly– he shook his head and nodded, "yes Rei, I told him –and he accepted".

"Waiiiii!" Rei smiled and started bouncing around, "yeah!"

Tala sweatdropped more, "pathetic," he mumbled.

"Let's go before something else happens," Kai grimaced as he stared at the bag full of the things he decided to take with him for the sleepover. It took him nothing to prepare it, more so because he had a maid to prepare it for him –rich was good!– but as it was currently hanging from his shoulder, he had to grip it in order not to drop it.

Thus, he was straining his hands.

Tala, unaware of this, started rambling about a phone call he received from Bryan and Spencer, whilst Rei was gone in la la land with a lot of little Mystels around him.

Kai sweatdropped.

Bright and sunny day as it was, the group decided to take the longer route that passed near the river, enjoying the warmth –well, not really. After hearing that Mystel had been in the neighbourhoods of the river, Rei had forced his wrath upon the two Russians to have a different and longer way towards Tyson's.

By forced his wrath upon them I mean, pouting, doing his puppy eyes, and threatening them of not cooking for them never ever again.

The last one was the most effective though.

So, the three were now walking on the riverside.

Kai was lingering some feet behind the others, and slowly lifted his hands up to stare at them. There were no signs of them being hurt on the outside, since the few scratches he had were already healed, but on the inside, he was wincing in pain. The twinges of pain _did_ fade away slightly, leaving behind a throbbing much similar to the one you have when you have a part of your body fall asleep and then wake up, but once in a while, a painful twinge would remind him not to get his hopes up too much.

The only good thing was, he had been able to evade Brooklyn for sometime lately. The orange haired teen caused a series of strange reactions from him that Kai wasn't much happy with. He scared him –now, admitting it to himself was becoming quite easy– but this was not all.

The darkness… behind Brooklyn was what scared Kai the most. It was like Brooklyn was a thin line in–between dark and light, and Kai was precariously balanced on this line.

If he had to be _really_ truthful, the line Brooklyn appeared to be gave him another sensation opposite to the feeling of being on the verge of breaking down.

It made him feel almost… secure.

Comfortable.

And paradoxically, this scared him even more.

Because Black Dranzer, despite the lust of power and the evilness she was emanating, had given him the same feeling. The feeling that maybe he could be considered someone. Using Black Dranzer he had almost… hoped, that the power would gain him respect.

He thought he would get respect only by acting this way.

He was wrong because, he already had the respect of the few people he cared for –Tala, Rei, the BladeBreakers, and some people of the other teams. He'd made mistakes, he'd cheated and betrayed his… friends… but they still ended up forgiving him.

And even if the Dark Phoenix's power were still alluring him, he was able to ignore the chill.

And Brooklyn… Brooklyn caused the same feeling in him. He felt at ease around him, but he was expecting the darkness behind him, thus he couldn't trust the feeling.

Brooklyn would only hurt him, like he already did during their match. He killed Dranzer. He scarred Kai's mind and body, when he'd thought he was finally able to put his past behind.

"Oh, look, we're there!"

Kai blinked and lowered his hands, looking up only to see the familiar sight of the dojo. He knew it pretty well, Tyson forced him to sleep in there once or twice.

Damn Tyson.

"Kai! Rei! Tala! I am so glad you could come!" the said bouncing bluenette jumped out from nowhere and waved at them happily, before grabbing Tala –the nearest one– by his arm and yanking him towards the garden. "Come on, put away your bags and let's join the others!"

Kai sighed and followed the other three through the garden and inside the dojo, where he saw there were already some bags randomly scattered around the gym.

He recognized one as being Garland's –obvious to tell, it had many stickers of sports on it– and he was able to tell the neon green one was Max's because… no, not because he already knew this one was his; simply because it was open and a sack of lollipops was sticking out, together with a turtle plushie.

Pathetic, as Tala would probably say.

He then spotted some more bags as he, Rei and Tala put down theirs –his was black, Rei's was more of a small rucksack, grey and blue, and Tala's was brownish.

There was a blue bag, with little yellow stars attached onto it, and Kai reasoned it could only be owned by a girl –either MingMing or Hilary.

Then another one, and it was pink. Definitely a girl's, and since Mariah wasn't there…

Then there was a big bag of a dark brown, really big, next to which a smaller light red one.

Then there was a forest green one, and an orange one. Last was a grey one with a computer sticker… Kenny's.

Tyson was rambling about something Kai couldn't quite get a grasp on, about Grandpa Granger and noodles, as the four exited the dojo again. Kai looked around and took in who was there.

There were Mystel and Garland talking about something near the pond, and Kenny was staring in adoration at MingMing, who was having a glaring contest with Hilary –strangely enough the two of them hadn't gotten friendlier after the tournament.

On the opposite they had gotten even nastier to each other –if this was even possible.

There was Moses with his little sister Monica on his shoulders and Kai for a moment wondered mildly if she wasn't going to be sick, being so high. He was still glad she was ok, despite Boris' attempts to use her to control her brother.

Max bounced on Tyson –people really were bouncier in the last few days– and Rei laughed before spotting Mystel.

Kai was having half an idea to approach Garland and have a small talk with him when a shudder ran through his back, bringing a known feeling of dread. He turned his head to the right and there he was.

Leaning on the wall of the dojo, busy admiring a bird on the tree in front of him, there was the orange haired teen that caused so much trouble to Kai.

Kai felt his body slip out of his control as soft trembles hit his frame, but he willed them away. He couldn't go away now because he had promised to Tyson he was going to stay, and he wouldn't let Brooklyn ruin his time.

Green eyes snapped away from the bird and stared at him, and Kai could see a flicker of… satisfaction? in them as Brooklyn spotted him. The older teen's lips turned upwards in a silent greeting that made Kai cringe, as both coldness and warmth fought inside his chest. He found Brooklyn was harder to ignore than Black Dranzer… harder to… resist… maybe.

'_Ignore him,'_ he ordered himself as he turned away from Brooklyn and stomped towards the teal haired blader. "Hi Garland," he said, and Apollon's wielder turned to him with a smile.

"Oh, Kai! I am glad you could come, maybe laters we can have our fight?"

"Mh… I don't think I can, not today at least" he declined politely, hiding unconsciously his hands behind him. "Besides, I have a feeling you have something better to do…"

He pointed towards Tala, who was still being dragged by Tyson around, and Garland's eyes widened.

"Yes, I think you are right, now, if you can excuse me…" he bowed formally and walked quite uncertainly towards the red head.

Mystel blinked, smiling at Kai, "he's been waiting all day to go and properly apologize to him".

Kai nodded with a smirk, "I know… and I get the feeling he's not the only one who's been waiting to see someone…"

Mystel blinked again, eyes showing confusion –for once he wasn't wearing a mask– and looked with a frown at Kai, who glanced towards an approaching Rei.

"Bye, Mystel, see you later," with that Kai waved and walked away. He was effectively ignoring Brooklyn, and decided to continue like this by leaning on the farthest wall he could find, relaxing and staring at the other bladers interacting.

He wanted to keep an eye on Tala and Garland, whilst he was pretty sure Rei would take care of himself –and Mystel if he managed to.

But he was distracted from his thoughts as another shape appeared and leaned on the wall at his right. For a second his insides clenched painfully, believing it was Brooklyn, but then he looked up to the dark blue hair and dark eyes of Hitoshi, Tyson's brother, and felt himself relax once more.

"Tense?" Hitoshi asked, raising elegantly an eyebrow.

Kai didn't look at him, "I thought you were Brooklyn," he admitted.

Hitoshi's eyes flickered with something that Kai didn't see, "really? Are you… uneasy around Brooklyn?"

"Yeah," Kai replied. "He… killed Dranzer".

He decided he should not tell Hitoshi about the rest; Tyson's brother didn't know anything about his past, or about the Abbey and Black Dranzer.

"But Dranzer's back now," Hitoshi reasoned.

Kai did not reply.

"Well, I don't think there is a problem with this," Hitoshi smiled warmly at Kai, who frowned lightly.

Hitoshi was acting a little stranger than usual.

"It's quite noisy up there," Hitoshi casually pointed to Tyson, who was running around with Daichi, "can I stay here as well?"

Kai looked up at the blue haired man perplexedly, and received a sincere smile as an answer. He shrugged and closed his eyes again.

……………………………………………

Tala watched with slight tension as the teal haired teen walked towards him; he could easily remember what had happened during their only meeting, and the causes of it –he was forced in hospital for an entire month, in coma.

So there was no surprise as he tensed up.

Garland was uneasy as well, because he knew too well it was his fault Tala ended up in hospital, but he had to recognize the red haired blader had talent and passion. He felt bad for his actions, because he let the pride of his family to blind him.

But family pride was not as important as a person's welfare.

"Tala? May I speak with you… privately?" he politely asked.

Tala bit his upper lip and for a second, he wondered if it was safe to accept. Then he gave a sharp and tense nod and followed Garland inside the gym, and no one noticed them as they slipped inside.

None with the exception of the orange haired blader, but Brooklyn did not care about them as he was currently growling, furious about the proximity of Hitoshi with Kai. How dared he, so near _his_ slate haired blader!

As Brooklyn pondered on his choice of words, inside the gym tension was at its peak.

Garland was a proud blader. And this time it had nothing to do with his family. He knew he'd been wrong, but apologize to someone was another matter.

"So?" Tala's voice was as icy as his eyes.

Garland looked up straight at him and breathed deeply, "Tyson told me about… about Boris and what he'd done before… in Russia… he was just using all of us, and he was threatening us as well".

Tala's blank stare did not change.

"I respect you for your decision to stand up against him, and I am aware of the fact that our fight wasn't a fair one".

Tala kept on staring, and Garland started to feel unease again, despite his resolution. The azure eyes of the red headed Russian were almost glacial, and that made Garland's resolve waver. There was so much… nothingness in his stare, and all the same, the teal haired teen was sure there were emotions hidden behind. Thinking this, his turquoise eyes became bright and determined, and strangely enough, the prospective of apologizing turned less unnerving and less hard.

"I want to… I want to apologize. I didn't mean to hurt you," Garland stated. "I was wrong, and I am sorry".

Tala's shoulders dropped slightly, and his eyes lost some of their coldness. Garland seemed sincere in his apologize, besides, Tala himself had once been deceived by Boris and he knew how persuasive he could be, how persuasive his _actions_ could be.

"I accept your apologizes," he spoke quietly, and the other teen had to lean over to hear. "I once have been deceived by Boris, too".

Garland relaxed hearing his words, and truth to his thoughts, there were emotions leaking inside those azure pools; something had happened that caused the red haired to conceal his emotions deep inside him.

And he wanted to… he didn't know why, but he wanted to see more of them. Wanted to see the azure eyes flicker with something else than coldness.

"How about a match?" he asked suddenly, surprising Tala who was ready to leave.

Red brow furrowed in confusion, "what?"

Garland nodded, then a smile appeared on his lips, "I think our last match was a mistake on both parts… we didn't give our best and maybe, if we fight again, fair and clean…"

Tala stared at him in surprise; this was the last thing he was expecting from the teal haired teen. A rematch? Well, that would be a good chance to finally determine things out between them, as in rivals.

Smirking Tala nodded, "sure then, anytime!"

"What about now?" a smug expression was on his face as he pulled out Apollon from his pocket, showing it to the red haired teen, who smirked as well and pulled out his Wolborg.

"You're in," Tala headed towards the door followed by the teal haired teen, but once outside they were stopped by Tyson, who glared at both of them suspiciously, his eyes trailing to their hands where the two BeyBlades were.

"What are you trying to do?" he asked, with a frown, "you are _not_ going to have a battle" he added seriously.

All the other bladers around the garden stopped doing what they were doing to look at them curiously.

"Why… not?" Garland raised one eyebrow questioningly.

"Because you're at _my_ party! I won't allow you… any of you," he turned to all the others, "to have a bey battle… you're here to enjoy yourselves, not to fuel up your rivalries! Now let's go inside, Grandpa's called us for lunch!"

Garland and Tala sighed and placed their blades back in their pockets, following Tyson and the others back inside. The red head bit his lip and blocked the turquoise eyed teen by his arm, "we'll fight tomorrow at Kai's… you know the address right?"

Garland nodded, "yes, that way I will be able to properly challenge Kai to a martial arts' fight".

Tala raised both eyebrows but then smirked at him and the two entered in the dojo.

……………………………………………

"Hey guys," Tyson looked at the group as they were all scattered in the sitting room, and waved his hand so they would look at him. "What about a movie? I own a lot of DVD and so does Hitoshi!"

There was a sudden stampede as all the bladers, including the three girls, who had teamed up –possibly against the males– stormed towards the pile of DVD, rummaging through them to search for the proper one. Kai just remained where he was, leaning on the wall, observing the others with amusement in his eyes.

"Oh, let's see _'Shark Tale'_!" Max pleaded waving the DVD above his head. Moses growled at him and picked up another one, "what about _'Fast and Furious'_?"

"Nah! Let's see _'Titanic'_!" chirped MingMing, with Kenny nodding and blushing furiously in the background.

'_How come Tyson has Titanic in DVD?'_ was the thought that passed through everyone's head.

"No, here it is, _'Ghost'_," Hilary sighed, she loved that film.

"No way," chorused the others glaring at her.

"I'll vote for _'Pirates of the Caribbean, curse of the Black Pearl'_," Garland proposed pointing to a DVD in Tala's hand.

"Hell yeah!" was the common reply. Even the girls agreed, because all of them loved the film, and the ones who hadn't seen it heard it was a great film.

Tyson, Max and Daichi disappeared to prepare snacks for all of them, whilst the others volunteered to settle the armchairs in a way all of them could sit in the dojo, that was bigger than the sitting room, and Hitoshi carried the TV inside.

At first the older Granger thought of going away to leave the younger bladers alone, but as his eyes spotted Kai, who was taking a seat a little on the right –as far away as he could from the seats Tyson and Daichi were surely going to sit on– and a smirk appeared on his face.

"Hey Kai, mind to share? You have no idea of how noisy Tyson can be when he watches DVDs…" Hitoshi approached the slate haired teen, who blinked up at him and thought about it for a second.

"Hn," he replied and the bluenette took it as a yes, as he sat down next to him.

Mystel sat on the floor onto a cushion and Rei kneeled at his right, smiling to him in a seductive way, fangs showing from under his lips.

"Can I sit here?" he asked, his voice low.

Mystel blushed ever so slightly as he nodded, turning away so he would look at anything but Rei; the latter was looking proud of his achievement and flashed a smile to Kai, who rolled his eyes. Rei really didn't care of anyone when he was hunting for something…

'_He'd better be a little more wary… the press would love to ramble about a great blader being not interested in girls…' _Kai thought. _'Even if… he doesn't seem to be the only one here'_.

Hitoshi leaned against the back of the seat and pondered over what he'd seen. Kai didn't seem disgusted that Rei was hitting on Mystel, and this was positive because at least he wasn't homophobic. That meant he could try on seducing him…

The others gathered in the dojo, Tyson carrying a really huge bowl of pop corn and an enormous glass of coke, and when Monica tried to take a handful of popcorn Tyson moved it out of reach and shook his head, "yours will come soon, this is mine!"

Monica blinked and shifted away from him, scared, and Moses glared at Tyson before moving Monica near MingMing –despite it all, he trusted her more than Tyson.

Max and the recruited Hilary entered the dojo together with Kenny, each of the, holding a tray with glasses of coke and pop corn bowls –smaller than Tyson's by the way– and they handed them to the sitting bladers.

Daichi jumped on the seat in front of the TV at Tyson's side, holding a similar bowl in his hands.

Now, the positions were the following –from the right, Hitoshi, Kai, an empty seat, Tala, Moses, Max, Tyson and Daichi, then another empty seat; in front of them, on the cushions, were Rei and Mystel, Hilary, Monica, MingMing and Garland, who was shifting uncomfortably. Kenny handed the last glass and looked towards the seat, then nudged Garland on the shoulder.

"Can you sit up on the chair and let me this cushion?" he pleaded rather pathetically.

Garland's eyes lit up –he really didn't want to sit all the film near the overemotional MingMing– and gladly swapped place with him; Kenny looked in adoration at Ming)Ming's back as she continued gossiping with Monica.

Brooklyn entered the room. He had been in the bathroom to wash his hands, and when he glanced at the dojo his eyes darkened up with lust seeing where he was supposed to sit down.

Kai was looking at the popcorn with a half disgusted stare when he felt someone sit down next to him, uncomfortably near. He glanced up and froze as he saw the familiar green eyes looking at him, and he swallowed hard.

Brooklyn was… sitting next to him. And he was smiling his creepy smile at him…

He shivered and wondered if Garland would consider swapping place with him –he would gladly comply, since he was sitting next to Tyson– but then the loud mouth pressed on the remote and the film started. Hilary stood up and went to shut the lights of, then returned in a hurry in her place.

Kai couldn't relax. It was dark, and Brooklyn was right next to him, almost touching him, and that caused Kai to shiver. Not to mention, Hitoshi on the other side instead of looking at the TV was peering at him every now and then.

That was upsetting him so much he wasn't able to concentrate on the film, and he loved that one.

He shifted, trying to ignore both older teens and bit his lower lip, licking it then biting it again, managing to relax slightly as he finally started enjoying _'Pirates of the Caribbean'_.

He forgot that he loathed popcorn and digging his hand into it –even ignoring the twinge of pain– he carefully closed his fingers onto some of the white salty things and brought them to his mouth, swallowing then proceeding to lick the salt from his fingers, digging his hand back in for more.

Obviously as he was caught by the film, Kai didn't notice the effect he was causing in both Brooklyn and Hitoshi.

Brooklyn's eyes never left Kai's fingers as the slate haired teen licked them clean one by one, his tongue flickering onto their top before they sunk back in the bowl.

He had to stifle a moan by biting hard on his own fingers, in a violent attempt to refrain himself from jumping on Kai and claiming him as his right on the couch in front of everyone's eyes. How could Kai not see what he was doing to him? He was incredibly erotic and Brooklyn felt his arousal grow as he shifted so to hide it from the other's view.

A glance towards Hitoshi from above Kai's head made green lusty eyes turn to cold dark angry pools, as he gritted his teeth in fury. Hitoshi was staring transfixed at Kai's fingers much like Brooklyn had been doing until that moment, eyes filled with the same lust, but Brooklyn felt himself turn livid.

How dared Hitoshi to look _that_ way at _his_ Kai!

Tyson's brother felt someone was looking at him and diverted his eyes from the arousing sight Kai was providing to look up, and saw Brooklyn's hatred filled glare turned against him and smirked.

His eyes and smirk communicating to the orange haired teen a simple thing, _'you want Kai? You'll have to fight… and by the looks of it, I am a step ahead of you…'_

Brooklyn narrowed his eyes.

He was not going to let Hitoshi have his way at Kai. Not if he only wanted his body.

'_And you? Does that mean you want more than just his body?'_ his mind asked pointedly.

And for once, Brooklyn was left speechless.

……………………………………………

**MasterFranny:** see? Things are finally coming around! And poor Kai is going to suffer even more laters, so keep on reviewing and I'll give you the next chapter!

I hope you understood what Kai is going through. He's not as good as others (_cough_Rei_cough_) in showing or understanding his emotions, towards Brooklyn nonetheless.


	5. Breathless strain

**MasterFranny:** I think this chapter will get yah wild… well then, scroll down and read! See you at the end of the chapter!

Oh, before I forget, here there is a special warning for you… mention of M–Solo in this chapter! That means… a certain someone trying to relieve himself! ;)

Be aware of the cliché part in this! It was one of the three things that had me start this story –one was the cliché in this one, one was the prologue and one will be another cliché thing later on.

……………………………………………

**Rating**: T

**Summary:** Takes place after G-Rev. Kai still has some 'grudges' against Brooklyn, but the older teen is determined to erase them… Yaoi BrooklynKai and GarlandTala. May be hints of ReiMystel.

**Warning:** this contains Yaoi so if you don't like stop reading right now. Any flame regarding yaoi use of pairings will be handed to Hiei and Kai to be disposed of.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own. Otherwise there wouldn't be a second season like the one we had and there would be a side season filled with yaoi...

"Talking"

'_Thinking'_

"(Talking into other languages)"

–**Dreams sequences, flashbacks, memories–**

……………………………………………

**Alluring Darkness**

**Chapter 05 Breathless strain**

How could things worsen up so much? Until two hours before, he thought nothing would prevent him from claiming Kai as his own, but now…

Brooklyn started at the ceiling of the dojo, his eyes lingering on the lines traced in the wood, trying to calm himself down enough to think. It would do no good to him if he started growling and ended up waking all his so called 'roommates' because his thoughts were still lingering on…

Green eyes slowly trailed from the ceiling to the sleeping form that was in the other side of the room, feeling a growing ache in his lower area as he admired the teen's relaxed face, crimson eyes closed, for once cheeks clean from the usual blue marks.

He looked so innocent in his sleep that Brooklyn felt a twinge in his chest every time he looked at him, and had to prevent himself from running to him and then…

Shaking his head again to clear it from his perverted thoughts, the orange haired teen tugged the blanket over him so to cover his eyes, remembering what caused his distressed state only few hours before.

–**Start FlashBack–**

"It's almost midnight," Kai, the responsible one, stated after Tyson had unsuccessfully proposed some card game. "You'd better start going to bed, I don't want you all dozing off tomorrow, since I have planned some training for you all".

As Brooklyn could see, Kai looked somehow more relaxed, and wasn't clutching his hands at his sides as he did in the last days. He seemed of a lighter mood, and maybe it was because his hands _did_ look a lot better –judging by the way he was holding his bag.

Brooklyn felt relieved, since one of the problems due to their match was finally fading away; he'd been really worried about Kai's welfare, and he was glad he was now healing.

"But Kaaaaai!" Tyson protested, clutching the slate haired teen's arm. "How can you be this evil? It's my party and my sleepover, please, don't schedule training! We want to relax!"

Daichi clutched his other arm, looking just as pleadingly, "Come on Mr. Sourpuss! Be nice for once!"

Tala, who was smirking at them from a corner, mocked Daichi's actions by imitating his pleadingly expression and saying in an annoyingly sarcastic voice, "yes, Mr. Sourpuss… don't be such a pain in the ass!"

Kai glared at the red head and then at the two, already deciding to double their training, but Rei felt this was the time to tear his gaze from Mystel and act fast –if they were going to train in the morning, that would mean he couldn't woo the Egyptian, and he wouldn't allow that.

"Kai, I think you should relax some more, I mean, it's been a while since our last threat, and we did good against it –even if some of us lost– so… why not drop the strict training for some time? It would be really nice from you…"

Kai bit his lower lip, knowing why Rei was so willingly not to practice the next day, but really, they were in a quiet moment and maybe, only maybe, it would be good to have them all relax slightly before resuming their schedule.

"Rei's right," said Hitoshi, who was looking at them with an amused smile. "You all need to relax, Kai, even you".

Brooklyn had to refrain himself from growling, something that wouldn't do with his 'I'm a nice guy' appearance, and forced himself to calm down; Kai sighed deeply but then he nodded –quite gloomily if I can add.

Daichi and Tyson started bouncing around, picking Max up with them in their happiness, and Kai shook his head in half disgust. Hitoshi decided to use this at his advantage, and looking smugly at Brooklyn he stepped towards Kai and placed his hand on the younger teen's shoulder, smiling at him, "a good captain knows when to give up," he said warmly.

Kai tensed up but accepted the gesture, before growing lightly uneasy since Hitoshi didn't remove the hand. What was with the physical contact?

Brushing off the hand Kai 'hn'ed and was about to walk somewhere quieter when Daichi, in his hyper state, bounced against a bowl of orange juice that was on the table and went flying, splashing on Kai's face, who stood there gaping with the juice dripping down his face, unable to speak because of the shock.

Then, Tala snickered.

Tyson started to laugh, and Daichi too, soon followed by some of the others, and Kai stormed away to the bathroom, to wash himself of the juice.

Brooklyn stared at his retreating back and had to stay concentrated so not to follow him to lick off the juice from his face. Who would have known that being around Kai so much would have him fight against his sudden urges?

That was something he had to think about as well…

When Kai returned, a scowl clear on his face, he was greeted by a stunned silence. All the bladers in the dojo were looking at him in shock; some had even their mouths hanging open as he passed before them, heading towards his sleeping bag.

"Kai… where are your marks?" Tyson asked, blinking.

Kai growled and glared at Tala, who was smirking satisfied at him with his arms folded on his chest, "he made sure I left my face paint at home," he scowled. "Don't stare at me like that! I am not some freak!"

"He can have a future as a model," MingMing whispered to Monica and Hilary, for once forgetting who she was talking with –the MingMing hater.

Brooklyn bit his lip hard as he was about to drool; Kai _really_ caused reactions in him he'd never thought he would feel. But this side of the slate haired blader was something he'd _never_ seen before. He looked hot when with the marks, but he looked ever hotter without them.

With a frown he realized Hitoshi too was staring with lust at Kai, and had to fight against a fit of jealously from taking control of him.

Kai ignored the stares and went to his sleeping bag, that was near the forest green bag. Brooklyn felt his insides turn painfully, knowing too well that was _his_ bag, and swallowed hard.

The slate haired teen wondered inwardly who was the owner of the green bag and stared at it with a weird feeling pooling in the pit of his stomach.

Whilst all the teens settled inside their own sleeping bags –MingMing throwing a fit because she was supposed to sleep 'in a comfy, twin–sized bed with silky sheets and pillows and not in a filthy–looking, little uncomfortable sleeping bag'– Kai stared in shock as Brooklyn approached, fear flickering in the crimson eyes.

Brooklyn was smirking and in the green pools flashed mischief, and Kai shuddered, looking frantically around. All the other places were already occupied by bladers –apart around Tyson, because only God could sleep near the snoring teen– and Kai was _not_ going to go near Tyson, not even under threat by Brooklyn.

Once again, the Phoenix wondered why Brooklyn was interested in hurting him so much.

Hitoshi once again intervened, feeling this was again something he could turn the way he wanted, and motioning to an empty spot near his own sleeping bag –he'd decided he would stay as well– he turned towards Kai, "hey Kai, you can come here if you want".

Kai stared, feeling grateful that Hitoshi was offering him a way out of this dangerous and tense situation, and walked on the opposite side of the dojo with his sleeping bag, leaving behind a rather unsettled Brooklyn, who had to bite on his jealously and glare with all his might against the older teen.

His loath towards Hitoshi was slowly turning to a much violent emotion that he could even recognize as hatred. The bluenette not only caused him to lose control of Zeus, betraying his trust, and then turning away as soon as he saw he didn't need Brooklyn anymore, but now he was also trying to steal Kai from him.

Ok, maybe Kai had some tensions with Brooklyn that they still hadn't resolved, but the orange haired teen was sure he could erase all of them if given some time, but now time was slowly slipping away, as was Kai.

And he was still trying to understand what he really wanted from Kai.

–**End FlashBack–**

Yes, Brooklyn wasn't sure about his feelings towards Kai. He'd never been in such a state before, and his love for nature never caused such emotional distress… watching a bird or a bug wasn't the same as watching Kai, though the latter was much more enjoyable; there was a strong lust, but it went deeper than just this, for how strong the desire was…

Brooklyn craved for Kai. Really.

Not because he'd been the first one to defeat him; not because Kai had something Brooklyn hadn't –passion; not because he wanted to make Kai his… by claiming his body and making him cry for more in his arms…

But because he wanted to see Kai smile. Because he wanted to see some different kind of emotion other than distrust and loath –and fear, that being when the slate haired teen looked at him in particular; because he wanted to see Kai smile _at him_…

He wanted Kai to trust him, because in some way, Brooklyn knew they were similar.

Green eyes closed, trying not to look at the teen that was causing him to think on his priorities, but it was hard. Kai attracted him like he'd seen moths attracted from the light of a flame. He knew he could get burned, but he didn't care… he was almost obsessed.

Eyes opened again, Brooklyn stared as Kai moved in his sleep, blanket shifting so a slender and pale arm peered out from it, causing Brooklyn to groan faintly. Blue bangs graced an awesome face, his scarf now gone so the orange haired teen could see Kai's neck and part of his shoulder bone.

Brooklyn bit his upper lip, wishing Kai was sleeping near him, but maybe, it was better he was away… because now, as he stared with attentive eyes at him, he had to prevent himself from walking up to him and…

Kai shifted again, a soft groan passing through his parted lips, and Brooklyn shifted uncomfortably, the well–known problem in his lower area returning full force. Every thing Kai did, it was a cause of arousal for him; be it move, speak, or lick popcorn…

Brooklyn cursed against his tricky mind as he remembered the way Kai had licked his fingers from the salt.

The pink tongue flickering over each finger…

Unconsciously to him, his hand shifted downwards, slipping inside his pyjama pants to stroke his growing erection, moaning and then biting his lips to prevent himself from being heard by the many people sleeping around him.

The orange haired teen continued moving his hand, faster and faster, the only thought in his mind as he did so was a certain Phoenix busy cleaning his hands from the salt…

He couldn't believe what he was doing; he was pleasuring himself when thinking about Kai… on how delicious his lips looked, and his beautiful crimson eyes…

His hand stroked faster…

The image of Kai in his arms, as he kissed him, as he claimed him as his…

He tensed up and arched lightly his back, stifling back a moan –that sounded suspiciously like Kai's name– as he came in his hand, slumping back on the sheets panting hard.

This was obviously _not_ him.

Calming down he cleaned his hand on a handkerchief and closed his eyes; maybe this was the problem, Kai was causing him to act differently than the usual, and maybe he needed to think it over a bit… in the morning.

With this thought in his mind, Brooklyn let himself fall asleep.

……………………………………………

When Kai opened his eyes, the first thing he was aware of was the pain that flared through his body.

Kai groaned and opened his eyes slowly, waiting for the throbbing ache to dull away, and tried to understand where he was; after a moment he recognized the dojo, and heard Tyson's snoring coming from somewhere at his right. By the looks of it, it was still early in the morning.

His hands were rigid at his sides, and the moment he tried to curl his fingers a twinge of pain so strong hit him like an electric shock, causing him to bite his lips to block a scream from leaving his mouth, so hard he drew blood.

With a great strain he forced himself to sit up, his hands pressed against his chest to prevent them from trembling harshly; his breath was coming out ragged and heavy, and twinges of pain hit him incessantly, causing his head to blur and he fought back a wave of nausea.

He needed something to calm the pain, it was too intense and he couldn't even think.

Kai stood up shakily and stumbled through the dojo not caring if he woke up someone, really he wasn't thinking at all; luckily the loud snoring of Tyson caused all the sleeping teens to end up deaf to any noise that was quieter than it.

He reached the bathroom and tried to open the cupboard, failing twice because every time he brushed his twitching fingers against the wood they would flare up in pain, as if hundredths of needles were inserted deep into his skin. In the end, panting hard for the strain, he managed to open the cupboard, and with his last bit of strength he pulled open the bottle of painkillers with his teeth and he gulped down two pills with some water.

For some long minutes he just stood there, panting, his hands clutched against his chest, and slowly, really slowly, the pain subsided as the pills pushed it away until it was just a dull ache that made his fingers tingle unpleasantly.

With his regained composure he left the bathroom to retrieve his clothes in the dojo, noticing that all the people in there were still asleep, and after having another trip to the bathroom to change his clothes and refresh himself, he left.

He needed some time alone.

……………………………………………

"Can you hand me the orange juice please?" Monica asked Garland, and he passed it to her, as Moses swallowed down a whole crêpe with double syrup and whipped cream.

As it was obvious the teens were having breakfast; it was around half past nine, and all of them had been woken up by Hitoshi, who had even managed to get Tyson up –which was something really impressive for him, since the loudmouth was famous for sleeping like a log.

Grandpa Granger with the help of Rei and his cooking skills had prepared a lot of delicious crêpes with both whipped cream and cedar syrup, that now stood on an impressive pile in the middle of the table, and were the target of the general attention… except a certain someone's, that was fixed on something else.

Mystel's widened eyes were glued to Rei because the Chinese blader was slowly licking some syrup from a crêpe –intentionally dripping some of it on his fingers so to lick them as well.

The Neko–Jin's tongue flickered sensually and Mystel, blushing, couldn't look away from the show, as he started shifting uncomfortably.

Rei was enjoying his show, since he was making sure to be sensually arousing the Egyptian, but all the while he was also wary that nobody else saw the exchange. He didn't want anyone to know of his feelings for the evasive blond, not until the said blond hadn't been claimed by him.

One of the few missing at the breakfast table was, much to Kenny's disappointment, MingMing; she probably was closed in the bathroom to reapply all her mascara and eyeliner and to do what she was used to call, 'her beauty touch up'. Tala and Kai were gone as well.

"Guys, have you seen Kai this morning?" Max asked, looking around evading the part of the table where Tyson was –look at him now would have been suicidal, the show of the loudmouth inhaling crêpes and syrup and cookies with some gulps of milk being quite disturbing.

Garland shrugged, "I think he's outside somewhere, just like Tala," he put a fork of crêpe in his mouth and chewed on it, waiting until he wallowed to speak again, "he's not that talkative, is he?"

Brooklyn, who was in a gloomy mood since he woke up and didn't see Kai, sighed; before drifting off last night –after his… relieving activity– he had been quite uncertain on how to behave around the slate haired Phoenix.

Kai couldn't be placed in any category, he was something different. Brooklyn had never thought he would end up pleasuring himself in the middle of a dojo, surrounded by a crowd of sleeping people, thinking of someone like Kai.

A soul like he'd never seen anywhere before, holding inside himself a soul so bright and burning that Brooklyn could almost feel the heat. He wanted to own him, to claim the Phoenix as his until he begged for more, seeing his body writhe under his, sweet lips parted to moan Brooklyn's name…

Snapping away from his spacing out, Brooklyn focused his attention to the sweet thing he was trying to eat, but he stopped and looked up at Rei, "did you make it without any addictive contents? I mean, is it natural?"

Rei was caught in the middle of his licking and he spluttered, starting to cough; the 'spell' was broken and Mystel's attention turned in a flash on his own food as he blushed furiously. Rei glared lightly at Brooklyn but found out he couldn't stay mad at the orange haired teen, because the latter was now smiling nicely at him, besides, Brooklyn the day before had been telling Rei he knew about his crush, and that he was supporting him, and this alone caused Rei to suddenly like the orange haired teen.

"Ah, well… I don't really know… I think there are addictives in the syrup and in the whipped cream, but I used natural butter and…" he stopped as Brooklyn slowly pushed away the food, looking quite disgusted. "I don't eat anything that is not natural," he explained.

Hitoshi let a smirk appear on his face, "yes, Brooklyn here is a vegetarian and eats only things that are _completely_ natural".

Brooklyn hid his scowl and smiled sweetly instead.

"Really!" Rei blinked, surprised –but not too much, he had expected this from such a nature–lover. "I couldn't live without some meat every now and then!"

Brooklyn shuddered at the thought of piece of meat, and seeing his reaction Rei smiled broadly, "it's really amusing, someone that has almost turned the entire world into darkness, and has no problem in hurting people, is so kind towards animals and shudders when thinking about meat!"

The whole table burst into laughter and Brooklyn too smiled, even though he hadn't liked the joke at all –but Rei was his second step towards Kai, so…

But then again, Brooklyn thought as he stared with a light frown at the food, maybe he had to give up on his previous plan. Maybe he had to start from Kai himself, returning to his staring, until he understood what was in Kai that attracted him.

"Guys, what about some kind of game?" amazingly enough Tyson had finished bottling up food in his stomach, and was now looking at them in expectation. "Like, dunno, 'Truth or dare'?"

Rei glared and was about to tell Tyson to keep his stupid games for himself when Mystel smiled shyly, "it sounds cool, I never played before!"

Rei's eyes lit up, "yes, I am up to the challenge! Let's start!"

Garland rolled his eyes and said, "I have nothing better to do, so, fine, I'll play".

The others quickly agreed and leaving the cleaning of the table to Grandpa Granger and to Hitoshi –who since Kai wasn't there had lost interest in the teens– and decided to go to the dojo, since it was bigger. Some of them decided they didn't want to play and headed for the garden –Moses, Daichi Garland and Hilary.

All the remaining teens sat down on the woods, except MingMing, who decided to use Kenny's adoration for her and hired him as her slave –of which he was absolutely delighted. She'd asked him to bring her a cushion, and after this a cup of tea. When he held it out for her she rewarded him with one of her sickly sweet smiled and a flutter of her eyelashes.

It's not needed to say that Kenny almost fainted on the spot.

"Let me start! Let me start!" howled Tyson, bouncing on the spot. The others nodded and he was about to say something when Tala entered the room and stared with a raised eyebrows at them.

"What are you up to?" he questioned, grimacing.

"Truth or dare!" Max giggled, "wanna join in?"

Tala raised one eyebrow and pondered over it for a second, before a slow smirk appeared on his face, making half of the bladers to shudder.

"Hm," the redhead placed himself in–between Monica and Rei and waited.

Tyson cleared his throat and looked around with a thoughtful expression –which was quite funny to see on him– but then his eyes spotted Brooklyn and a smirk appeared on his lips. "Brooklyn! Truth or dare?"

Zeus' wielder shrugged lightly and flashed Tyson one of his smiles, "dare".

"Then I dare you to… _kiss on the lips_ the first person that comes into the room!"

Brooklyn thought over it for a few seconds, then he shrugged, "I have no problems with that," he replied, "but let's have a condition –I don't want to kiss your grandfather if it's him".

"Oh, ok!" Tyson cringed at the mental image.

"…" after some seconds Tala sighed, "are we going to continue while we wait?"

"Well…" Tyson stopped in mid–sentence when the door of the dojo opened.

All the bladers turned towards the door, holding their breath in anticipation, and the person that entered the dojo was…

"Kai!" Rei gasped.

Tyson's smirk turned into a worried expression; all the bladers knew of the deep hatred the two teens had for each other, since their battle at the BEGA tournament. Brooklyn's first and only defeat had been Kai's work and Dranzer died by Brooklyn's hands.

They wouldn't get along.

Tyson wasn't the one worried for this outcome, as all the teens on the floor glanced anxiously from an uncaring and oblivious Phoenix to the orange haired teen as Kai, ignoring completely all of them, walked slowly towards his bag, lost in his thoughts.

Brooklyn's mind went off the moment he realized his dare was to kiss Kai. Of all people, Kai.

Him.

He could taste his lips.

He could…

No one noticed the flicker that passed through green eyes, darkened up by lust, as he stood up and walked towards the slate haired teen slowly, almost savouring what he was going to do.

Kai spent all the morning on the tree in the garden, trying to relax his hands, but after a few hours the pills' effect started to fade away, and he headed towards the back entrance, believing the others to still be at breakfast.

With some surprise he noticed some of his fellow bladers sitting in the dojo, but didn't pay any attention and went to his bag to retrieve a book, thinking about going to the bathroom and back on the tree right afterwards.

But as he kneeled down on his bag he felt someone approaching and he stood up again, finally turning his attention to the others –and when he saw the one coming near was Brooklyn he froze.

He was so shocked that the orange haired teen was walking towards him that he found he couldn't move.

"Wha…?" he started with a frown. Inwardly he was scared by the older blader's proximity, and wanted nothing more than run away, but the presence of the others behind him prevented him from showing such a weakness.

His speech was stopped in mid–sentence as Brooklyn pushed him forcefully against the wall, his hands gripping tightly Kai's wrists and forcing his arms to slam above the slate haired teen's head, causing him to wince for the pain and the pressure; Kai yelped but was soon silenced by Brooklyn's lips descending onto his fiercely, tongue licking at the Phoenix's ones and then intruding in his mouth, ravaging it.

The force of the kiss caused Kai's knees to buckle, his head spinning from the attack of the tongue, that was lapping and ravishing him, the lips, that were massaging his, and the strong grip on his wrists, that was causing him a fierce pain.

Thoughts were flashing in his clouded mind. Feelings, all mixed up, burning like fire; hatred. Disgust. Fear. Shock. But also something more, something that caused Kai to feel confused, uneasy. Something he wasn't able to understand.

That was something he hadn't expected, but most of all, the feeling that was keeping his mind occupied was fear.

Brooklyn knew of the injury in his hands, he was the cause of it, and still, now he was hurting him in a different way, he was humiliating him in front of the others –even if right now, Kai wasn't thinking about the others at all– and he was causing the pain in his hands…

Even if… the kiss…

… the kiss was blurring his entire world.

Confusing.

It scared him.

He could feel the malice in Brooklyn, and again, he couldn't but compare him with…

Kai yelped but the sound was muffled by the lips against his, breath running short; he tried weakly to push Brooklyn away, but his body wasn't responding to him. As if it was something happening far away, Kai realized he was trembling.

Finally, the lips pulled away. The grip on his hands was gone and he fell heavily on the floor panting hard, his lungs burning up as well as his cheeks. That was… the last humiliation…

Crimson eyes tried to focus as he looked up shakily, his frame trembling so hard he had to keep his hands clutched against his chest to prevent them from hurting even more than they were already, and met the sight of Brooklyn standing above him, licking his lips in satisfaction, green pools filled of darkness and lust.

The others just stared, unable to look away from the sight, but too shocked to make a move towards the two. This had happened so fast, and it had been such an unexpected thing that none was prepared to react.

Brooklyn was still licking his lips, the taste of Kai lingering onto them, entrancing, sweet, but then he looked down, dark green eyes returning mild pacific pools, and was met by the sight of Kai, trembling, clutching his hands against his chest as if they hurt like hell, crimson eyes wide and filled with fear fixed on him, and his smirk disappeared.

Kai was having difficulties to breath now. He glared up, shaking, trembling, gasping for his lungs to suck in air.

Brooklyn was suddenly aware that Kai was still in pain, he was reminded that Kai was hurt, his hands were still injured. He cursed against himself, not knowing how could have happened that he had lost control this way.

Completely.

"Kai…" he started, his idea to blame it all on Tyson and his stupid dare. But Kai stood up, gritting his teeth in pain, not even bothering to hide his troubled state to the others as he stumbling away from Brooklyn.

For a moment, it looked like the time stopped; crimson eyes stared at the shocked faces of the teens, then Kai turned and ran away.

……………………………………………

**MasterFranny:** sooo? Did you like this chapter? Am I evil? As for the second question the answer is probably yes, but what about the first? Review to tell me! XD

Oh, next chapter, what Brooklyn felt during the kiss XD


	6. Reaction and Caring

**Note:** due to someone who said I wasn't updating and wondered where I was, guys, I never updated a fic this quickly! It's still shocking me! Be nice!

**MasterFranny:** you all liked the last chapter, even if it WAS cliché… but come on, I know you were drooling on the kiss:) Now, let's see what others thought about that other than Kai, as we will analyze on Brooklyn and the group!

I love you all! I am almost at 100 reviews! X.x So keep reviewing, I love you all!

There may be some picture coming with this fic. If it is, when I finish it I'll give you the link so you can have a look at it. Now, on the chapter!

……………………………………………

**Rating**: T

**Summary:** Takes place after G-Rev. Kai still has some 'grudges' against Brooklyn, but the older teen is determined to erase them… Yaoi BrooklynKai and GarlandTala. May be hints of ReiMystel.

**Warning:** this contains Yaoi so if you don't like stop reading right now. Any flame regarding yaoi use of pairings will be handed to Hiei and Kai to be disposed of.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own. Otherwise there wouldn't be a second season like the one we had and there would be a side season filled with yaoi...

"Talking"

'_Thinking'_

"(Talking into other languages)"

–**Dreams sequences, flashbacks, memories–**

……………………………………………

**Alluring Darkness**

**Chapter 06 Reaction and Caring**

"_Kai…" Brooklyn started, his idea to blame it all on Tyson and his stupid dare. But Kai stood up, gritting his teeth in pain, not even bothering to hide his troubled state to the others as he stumbling away from Brooklyn._

_For a moment, it looked like the time stopped; crimson eyes stared at the shocked faces of the teens, then Kai turned and ran away._

……………………………………………

There was an utter silence when Kai disappeared from the dojo; the only sound left was the door slamming shut, and after than, nothing. Then Tala stood up and without a single comment he took off, opening the door with a yank and disappearing as well, probably to go after Kai.

Let's start from Brooklyn.

Green eyes were wide in shock as he stared at the door, emotions leaking through them, too stunned to even speak after Kai's reaction. He trailed his attention down to his hands, and it took him a moment before his mind could form a thought.

In a moment, he'd forgot Kai's problem, he'd forgot the pain the slate haired teen still felt in his hands, he'd forgot everything around him but Kai himself and the need to go and claim his lips.

It'd felt… wonderful. Indescribable. The feeling of those soft, sweet lips on his own, the taste of his mouth as he'd savoured it with his tongue… he'd wanted more.

The kiss left him wanting for more, but whilst he stood there, licking his lips, mesmerized by all the sensations that were running through his body like flames, he'd failed to notice the reaction he'd caused in Kai.

And now Kai was gone. Because of him. Because he'd lost control over himself.

What was he thinking?

Well, nothing at all, not after he saw the slate haired teen enter the dojo.

But still… he was the only one who knew about Kai's hands, because he'd been the only one looking at him every chance he got. Because he was always looking at him, no matter where the Phoenix could be, Brooklyn would follow.

And now, Kai was hurt more.

Because of him.

How could he loose his composure this way? How come Kai caused such a strong reaction from him?

Why hadn't Brooklyn approached slowly, to let Kai understand?

Was he really lust craving like Hitoshi?

"What the hell…?"

Brooklyn didn't even hear the voice as he was lost deep into his own thoughts, his accusing tone against himself, his many questions to which he couldn't answer.

It was Rei.

The Neko–Jin's eyes turned into two golden slits as he recovered from the shock, stepping forwards, range and anger burning deep within him as he approached the shocked orange haired blader, who was still staring at his hands.

The same thought ran in everyone's mind as they assisted at the kiss.

Brutal.

Forced.

Completely wild and hungry.

They were so shocked they couldn't even speak as Kai was left trembling on the floor and then when he ran away, only Tala had the spirit to raise and follow him –after all Tala was Kai's best friend.

And Rei liked to address himself as the other of Kai's close friends.

He couldn't let Brooklyn completely humiliate Kai like this.

Yes, because, it was obvious that the orange haired teen wanted nothing but revenge on the slate haired teen.

Brooklyn's first defeat had been by Kai's hands, and it was clear he was still feeling angry at his defeat.

So he would humiliate Kai but making him feel vulnerable; Rei knew that Kai was not fine around Brooklyn. And yet, he'd befriended the orange haired teen because he felt he could be able to bring peace among the two of them –Brooklyn hadn't meant to hurt Kai so much.

But right now the raven haired teen wasn't so sure about Brooklyn.

He had looked positively satisfied and proud of himself after seeing Kai lying down on the floor, trembling.

The glint in his eyes was unmistakeable.

He'd done this on purpose.

Brooklyn wanted to hurt Kai.

Humiliate him.

And he couldn't allow that.

"You," Rei hissed, and instinctively the other teens in the room shifted away, standing up from their positions on the floor to stare in fear and astonishment as the Chinese teen confronted Brooklyn.

Zeus' wielder finally snapped back in himself and stared at Rei, and had the raven haired blader been calm he would have seen the inner turmoil in the green eyes. But Rei was far from calm, and nothing was going to stop him.

Not even Garland, who was Brooklyn's best friend, would tolerate his actions once he'd been informed. The teal haired blader would be horrified by his friend's acting.

He couldn't believe Brooklyn to be so thirst of revenge to even humiliate his rival before their eyes.

He despised Brooklyn really much after this, and he was not going to defend him, to say it was all the dark Beast's will that caused him to react this way; not anymore.

"How could you!" Rei growled deep in his throat, the sound like a feral beast's, canines glinting as he gritted his teeth. "How could you act so… stupidly!"

Brooklyn found himself being under the intense glare of the raven haired blader, aware too well of the deep fury behind those golden slits. And he knew he'd deserved this. Kai's hands, he caused Kai's hands to hurt again.

But then again, Rei could not know Kai's problem, so why was the Chinese blader so angry? After all, that had been Tyson's dare.

Again, Brooklyn licked his lips.

Rei was driven insane by this simple gesture. He was not known for his anger, not to be driven away by emotions outside from battle, but this time he had to get a grip or he would have ended up shaking the orange haired teen by his collar.

"You… you… how could you? Humiliate Kai this way!" Rei bit on his lower lip so hard he drew blood.

Brooklyn was staring at him in clear surprise, as if he didn't even know what he did. Rei was furious.

"Humiliate him in front of us, not caring about his pride, you just wanted to get back at him, right!" Rei shook his head, his ponytail waggling in the air. "Because he was the only one to defeat you! And you couldn't accept that! You couldn't even realize how much pain you caused to him, first during your battle, then now! You selfish bastard!"

To say Brooklyn was stupefied would be not enough. He couldn't believe Rei would say this… he was not trying to humiliate Kai, he would never do such a thing, but obviously by the look in the others' faces, all of them thought the same thing –that he wanted to take back at Kai for his defeat at the tournament.

Couldn't they realize he was interested in Kai, he was not feeling any desire to get revenge at him, he was…

What?

Again, a part of his mind, a part Brooklyn didn't even know it existed, asked him. Questioned him. What caused his interest in Kai to be different from Hitoshi's? Why was Rei thinking, why were all of them thinking, that he had humiliated Kai?

His only desire was to see Kai smile.

His only desire was to hold him in his arms, not just to have sex with him, but to please him, to feel Kai's skin making contact with his, lips connecting, to be the cause of Kai to writhe under him and beg for more, but also for him to smile and laugh, to be happy, to see the sadness in his crimson eyes disappear… forever.

He wanted to hold Kai and just stay there in content, to feel nothing but peace and content… he almost longed for it.

Why?

What was so strong that caused his heart to ache so much now, hearing Rei spite angry words at him?

Could it be that… after all… what Brooklyn felt for Kai was something entirely different from lust, interest, desire?

Could it be that Brooklyn finally found the meaning of…

"Why!"

Brooklyn blinked in confusion at the question.

"Why did you decide to humiliate him! After all you did to him, that was the last strain!" Rei was trembling, but not in the way Kai had been seconds before… seconds that looked like hours to Brooklyn. Rei was trembling because of fury, because he was trying to prevent himself from punching the orange haired teen.

And Brooklyn knew that, if Rei lunged to him, no matter if he could, he would not stop him.

"I didn't mean to humiliate him," and his voice wasn't near as steady as Rei's was. It held a faint trace of hysterics into it, just faint, but there was.

He couldn't understand!

Why was Kai causing such distress! How come he couldn't understand, he couldn't find an answer to those questions like he always did for every other thing!

Green eyes turned into slits.

He couldn't believe he would be this confused. He was not confused, never confused. But Kai… Kai was a different matter.

Kai…

"You did!" Rei was still yelling. "You kissed him! You took control of him! You stole his pride away! You _humiliated_ him!"

Was it because Kai hadn't been previously warned about his kiss?

But then again, why…

"It wasn't intended to be humiliating," he said.

Again, the small, almost invisible hint of confusion. Brooklyn's determination started to fade. Maybe he'd hurt something more than his hands.

Maybe… there was more under the surface.

Had he ever stopped to think about how Kai felt around him?

Rei's golden eyes were burning with rage as he continued, "You treated him like a… a thing! You humiliated him, as if he were _yours_! A possession! An object!"

Brooklyn's mind stopped in its tracks.

He stood there, completely and utterly devastated as a simple and supposedly stupid detail his him like a bolt.

He'd treated Kai like any other thing Brooklyn was interested into. As a thing.

Not a human.

Not someone that could have reactions at his actions.

Not as a person.

Not knowing how he should act around a person to which he was interested, Brooklyn had acted like he did with his other interests.

Green pools widened as he finally realized the truth –he couldn't lean on his usual acting. Kai was different.

He was interested in Kai.

A person.

And now he'd messed things up so much he doubted he would ever be able to fix them up again.

……………………………………………

Hitoshi bit down on his apple, savouring the sour taste –he loved sour.

He wondered what his brother and his friends were doing in that exact moment in the dojo, and for a moment he thought if he should go look.

Knowing Tyson, he would be up to mischief.

Looking outside the window, he realized not all the younger teens were in the dojo with Tyson. Some were in the garden, just relaxing and talking, and Hitoshi noticed they were calm and peaceful… he was positive none of them would create havoc.

On the other hand, Tyson was in the dojo with the rest of the group… but then again, why should he bother about them? They were his grandfather's problem, not his.

Hitoshi's thoughts shifted to a more pleasurable trail of thoughts as the bluenette remembered Kai and his crimson eyes.

Kai really attracted him. Be it simply lust or more, Hitoshi did not care as long as he could win Kai for himself. The only problem was, Brooklyn.

The orange haired teen was also hot on the heels for the slate haired blader and that could prove troublesome, knowing Brooklyn's attitude.

All the same, Hitoshi felt reassured it was Brooklyn and none of the other teens. Kai was pretty close to the red haired Russian and to Rei, but he didn't seem to hold any kind of particular feeling for either of them. With Tyson, it was a mere rivalry based friendship, and Hitoshi knew that Kai couldn't by any mean be straight.

He just knew.

As with Brooklyn, the teen wasn't that much of an opponent, seeing how much Kai despised Zeus' wielder. Hitoshi was not sure about it, but it looked like Kai was actually _afraid_ of the orange haired teen.

Tyson's older brother smiled to himself, staring at the shadow on the tree in the garden with a flicker of lust. Kai would be his, and there was no way any would get to the slate haired teen before him.

As he bit on his apple again, grimacing lightly at the taste but liking it nonetheless, he noticed Kai slip down the tree branch and head towards the dojo; Hitoshi thought he was going to have a look at the bladers… Kai was serious and responsible, something that attracted Hitoshi to him.

None of the other bladers was like Kai.

He followed Kai's figure as he walked through the garden, not paying any attention to the bladers nor to Grandpa Granger, who was practicing with his sword, effectively pissing them all off with his screams.

He looked at him as he walked by, admiring him up and down calmly, noticing the light tenseness that was in his stance. What was wrong? Usually he would be relaxed –wary, but relaxed– but now…

Kai opened the door of the dojo and Hitoshi shrugged, returning to his apple, mildly wondering why Kai used his elbows to open the door.

After finishing his fruit he decided to join the teens outside, and maybe wait for Kai to come out again, so he left the kitchen and he walked down the corridor, coming out in the garden stretching; he knew there was no chance he would be competing anytime in any tournament or such, but it felt good to use his beyblade so he decided to have a spar match with Moses.

Apart for Rei and Tyson, he'd not battled against anyone of the teen, and as he challenged Moses, he thought it would be nice to go and challenge Kai as well. He knew this would interest the slate haired teen since they never battled before.

Garland stared at him and waved him good luck, doing the same to Moses before entering the front door, probably to go drink something since until the very moment he'd been showing some of his moves to Daichi and Hilary. The two of them, after sparing Hitoshi a glance, decided to follow Garland inside –surely they were looking forwards some more showing off, not knowing, or not caring, Garland wasn't exactly at ease with that.

Hitoshi looked at Moses, "three, two, one… let it rip!"

With that both bladers threw their blades on the ground –when you're a top–class blader, dishes are useless– and they started circling each other as their owners cautiously eyed each other, waiting for the other to be the first to strike.

Being the one that did not like to be held still for too long, Moses charged. His beyblade cut through the ground and the grass as if it was butter and tried to slam over Metal Driger, but Hitoshi's bey swiftly moved, its speed too much for Gigars to take, and waited for Moses to attack again.

But as they were up to continue the fight the dojo's door opened and Kai stumbled out; Hitoshi was suddenly aware that something was wrong by the way Kai was acting –he was trembling madly, his hands held tight against his chest, as if they were hurting.

In the crimson eyes there was deep pain, shock, confusion and something that Hitoshi couldn't understand.

But most of all, he was panicking.

"Kai? Is there something…" he started, both he and Moses stopping their match as their blades returned to their hands.

Kai simply collapsed.

"Kai!"

Hitoshi was in a flash at his side, followed by both Moses and Grandpa Granger, who stood in a circle as Hitoshi kneeled down near a trembling Kai, who groaned in pain as the older of the Granger's siblings touched his shoulder in worry.

Kai was completely dumb to anything but the sheer pain that flared from his hands to his whole body, twinges so strong they hit him straight in the back of his head, dizzying him and causing him to collapse on the grass as soon as he was outside the dojo, unaware of the people around him.

He wasn't even thinking anymore about the kiss, nor the humiliation he received, because nothing of this mattered compared to the pain.

Clenching his teeth to prevent himself from crying out aloud he heard a soothing voice as he was held tightly in the arms of someone, and a thought passed through his unfocused mind, _'… warm…' _before he passed out.

……………………………………………

Tala held Kai securely in his arms as Hitoshi pulled the car out of the parking, heading towards the hospital.

When the red head had exited the dojo he'd seen Hitoshi crouched next to his friend, trying to get a reaction from him, but Kai was unconscious.

He'd felt his insides turn painfully around, Kai was his best friend, and he was now in pain… he couldn't believe a simple kiss caused so much distress, so he realized there was something deeper than that.

As the red head, with the help of Grandpa Granger and Moses, had taken a seat in the family car with the fainted Kai in his arms, and Hitoshi had taken the driver's place, he had thought about Kai.

The last few days the slate haired teen had looked terribly upset, or maybe uneasy, around them, but Tala had just shrugged it off without caring too much, because he knew Kai was able to take care of himself.

But right now, as he looked down at the pale face of his childhood friend, the red haired blader scolded himself for having not noticed the way Kai acted.

As Hitoshi continued peering at him as he drove the car, Tala sighed in relief, knowing Kai would be fine.

He'd faith in him, besides, Hitoshi looked like he cared.

As they roamed in the streets, not fast enough to fear to be stopped by the police, but fast enough to reach the hospital as soon as possible, Tala explained to Hitoshi what had happened in the dojo, and the cause of Kai's strange behaviour.

Hitoshi's eyes turned into slits hearing Brooklyn had kissed Kai, most of all because that seemed to have hurt the slate haired teen, and the bluenette did not want Kai to be in such pain or distress.

As silence fell in the car again, both Tala and Hitoshi tried to think of what caused Kai to faint, since he was strong, and they knew normal pain wouldn't have been enough to reduce him this way –pale, trembling, muttering in his sleep.

Tala tried to shift the weight of Kai's body to get a better grip on him, brushing his hand on Kai's own in the process; the reaction was instantaneous.

Kai let out a cry of pain, though still unconscious, and pressed his hands against his chest, his breath laboured, trembling even more. Tala's azure eyes widened as he realized the cause of Kai's pain.

Sure enough he'd not seen his friend blade ever since the end of the tournament, neither he'd seen him use much his hands.

Now that he thought of it, he could remember Kai always asking to him –and to Rei when the raven haired teen moved in the house with them– half mockingly, to do him some minor favours, since he was 'busy' doing something else.

Tala didn't mind pouring Kai a glass of something to drink, or go take him something around the house. He didn't mind Kai not eating with them because he pretended to be busy, nor to wash the dishes with Rei every time –well, that was because he usually broke something expensive while training in the corridors with Wolborg, and felt guilty about it.

But now, as he thought it over and over, he realized he had not seen Kai use his hands at all when he was around them.

"I think I know what's wrong," he murmured, but Hitoshi heard him nonetheless.

Tyson's brother turned to him and glared at him, returning a second later to watch the street, "so?"

"His hands," Tala said. "His hands… I don't exactly know why, but I think his hands hurt… I felt stupid for not having noticed this before, but he didn't use them much lately… now that I think of it, after his and Brooklyn's battle he'd looked pretty off".

"Do you think this has something to do with Brooklyn?" Hitoshi couldn't repress the anger from his voice.

Not that Tala could blame him. He felt that somehow, Brooklyn was just ruining their life.

Hitoshi stopped in front of the hospital and pulled Kai from Tala's arms, making sure his hands would be safely resting on his chest as he lifted the teen up bridal style. Tala followed the older teen with a frown and a grimace –thinking about Brooklyn– through the entrance, and they approached quickly a nurse.

"What happened?" the nurse asked, brushing away a strand of charcoal hair from her face blushing –who wouldn't have being faced with two really hot guys with a third one just as hot in their arms?

"We don't know, he simply collapsed, as if he were in pain," Hitoshi stared in apprehension as the nurse called for help, and a doctor appeared from around the corner, wearing a label with the name on it, 'Mrs. Kobayashi'.

The doctor was a woman on her middle forties, with blond hair and deep brown eyes; she motioned for them to follow her in a very professional way, and both teens were relieved by this.

"The patient's name?" she asked, entering a room; her eyes did not left the trembling body of the teen as Hitoshi placed Kai on a bed.

"Hiwatari, Kai," Tala replied, a calm expression taking the place of the concerned one. He was still worried for his friend, but his childhood training took control of him again, and the woman was still a stranger.

She nodded, without giving away anything at the name –which was impressing, since Kai was famous, being the younger richest teen in all Japan and a World Class Blader. She hushed both of them away as she started examining Kai's body, taking in his trembles, the way he was holding his hands, and the look of clear pain on his pale face.

She reached out for a needle and she walked towards a little white cupboard, taking out a shot of painkillers.

Tala bit his lips as she came back to them, "is he allergic to any kind of medication?" she asked randomly at them, though she was directing the question to the older of the two, Hitoshi.

He coughed lightly, "Well, I–"

"He's not," Tala replied. "But he's allergic to certain types of anaesthetics like mepivacaine".

The doctor nodded curtly before turning back to Kai, injecting the painkiller in his veins.

"There is nothing I can do until he wakes up," Mrs Kobayashi said, sitting down next to the now calm teen. "Please take a seat, I will need you to fill a form out for him".

Tala nodded and sat down at the other side of Kai, whilst Hitoshi, seeing he was the older one, picked up the pen and stared frowning at the form. With a little disdain he noticed he knew nothing about Kai apart from his name, and that he liked beyblade.

Tala saw the blank look of Hitoshi as he stared at the paper and took it from his hands, started filling it down in neat Japanese.

Tyson's brother sighed and turned to look at Kai's sleeping form, face now rid of pain.

'_I swear I'll kill Brooklyn from hurting you if it's his fault,'_ he thought, eyes trailing down to Kai's hands then back up at his lips. _'And because he dared to kiss you… he doesn't deserve you, but I do'_.

……………………………………………

**MasterFranny:** I know it's a bad place to end, but I dun care! XD I worked so hard just because I love you all so much! I started reading Naruto fics, if you like uke!Naruto try scrolling down my fav list, there are some here!

Now review, make me happy since I hope I made you happy:)

THANKS To **Kurosaisei** which gave me information about anaesthetics and painkillers.


	7. Warmth

**NOTE:** go check this link and please leave a comment. Kurosaisei drew a comic about chapter five of this fic. She was so nice she deserves the comments.

Just take away the spaces, because does not allow addresses to be put inside fics.

**http/ www . livejournal . com / users / Kurosaisei / 31497 . html # cutid1**

**MasterFranny:** people were starting to hate Brooklyn. Thus, since Hitoshi is not supposed to get Kai, I'll better try to ease things up before complicating them even more. Thus, a nice scene suggested by **Seylin**, but a little changed around to fit with the current mood. See yah at the end:)

I also found this chapter hard to write because I needed the doctor to speak as a doctor… but I am not a doctor and I am not English, so I had to do some research. But to say the truth, I also found this chapter really funny to write for the same thing.

……………………………………………

**Rating**: T

**Summary:** Takes place after G-Rev. Kai still has some 'grudges' against Brooklyn, but the older teen is determined to erase them… Yaoi BrooklynKai and GarlandTala. May be hints of ReiMystel.

**Warning:** this contains Yaoi so if you don't like stop reading right now. Any flame regarding yaoi use of pairings will be handed to Hiei and Kai to be disposed of.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own. Otherwise there wouldn't be a second season like the one we had and there would be a side season filled with yaoi...

"Talking"

'_Thinking'_

"(Talking into other languages)"

–**Dreams sequences, flashbacks, memories–**

……………………………………………

**Alluring Darkness**

**Chapter 07: Warmth**

Crimson eyes blinked tiredly as they focused again, taking in a white ceiling above him and a strong scent of anaesthetic lingering in the air.

He groaned lightly, not completely sure about what happened, so he merely blinked, waiting for memories to resurface again. The ceiling slid in and out of focus for some more, then it cleared and he focused his mind on the rest of his body.

His hands… the pain was dulled, sending a wave of relief through his body, it was nothing more than a twitch every now and then.

What had happened?

He remembered he was on the tree when his hands hurt again; he remembered going into the dojo because it was nearer the bathroom –he really needed some painkillers at the point, but he was still concerned if using them too much would have him addicted– but the moment he entered…

Crimson eyes widened in shock as he stood sitting up in a flash, his lungs tightening to the point he couldn't breath.

Brooklyn…

He hugged himself tightly, not caring if he pressed his nails in the shirt on his shoulders, not caring if he was hurting himself more.

Hands gripping his wrist in a claw–like grasp… slamming them above his head, leaving him completely open –helpless.

Lips dawning on him, in a bruising kiss, tongue ravishing his mouth…

"Stop!"

Unfamiliar voice. But it vanished under the shock and the memories.

Violence.

Darkness…

"Kai!"

Again, slipping down, until the bottom of the vortex… dark covering him…

The same darkness, the same pain…

A pair of arms circled him and he recognized the feeling and the scent; something was trying to call him back… he was not sinking…

He relaxed inch by inch and his lungs started taking in air again.

Tala had finished writing down the form a minute before and was now looking at Kai's face in worry. How could he have not realized the pain his friend was in was beyond him, not only because they shared the same house, but also because, being together all their childhood, they were supposed to know each other.

Hitoshi was also contemplating what kind of person Kai was. Problematic –how could he not tell anyone about his conditions? People were worried for him, he needed to open up more and trust his friends.

That's when Kai groaned, and opened his eyes.

Tala and Hitoshi's shoulders drooped in relief, both waiting for him to come to his senses so Mrs. Kobayashi could start asking him about his hands.

Both were surprised when Kai shot sitting up on the bed, eyes wide and frantic, and gave a strangled cry, gripping his shoulders so tightly the knuckles turned white.

"Stop!" Mrs. Kobayashi cried, worried. He would just end up hurting himself more, and he was probably hyperventilating by the looks of it. The doctor bit her lip, she couldn't touch him, he would not recognize her and would end up panicking even more…

"Kai!"

Tala acted as fast as he could, leaning on the younger blader to take him in his arms, much like he'd done when they were little, forcing his hands to let go of his shoulders, whispering comforting words in Russian; it took a moment, but then, Kai relaxed and his breathing turned regular again.

"(T… Tala?)" was a shuddering gasp from Kai, as crimson eyes laced with icy ones, filled with uncertainty.

"(You fainted in the garden, and we took you to hospital,)" Tala replied, he too speaking in Russian. Kai still had not realized there were two other people in the room, but if he was feeling better by speaking in his former language, hell, he would not complain.

"(… We?)"

Tala nodded, slowly releasing Kai from his hold to make him look around. Crimson eyes went back and forth from the doctor in a white coat to Hitoshi, who was looking fairly stunned by what he'd seen.

The Granger older sibling couldn't but be surprised since he'd never seen Kai this… trusting with someone. Sure, few minutes before he'd been rambling with himself that Kai needed to show his trust, but seeing now that he was doing that, only with Tala…

He felt jealous.

Tala did not look like he was taking advantage of the slate haired teen or something like this, so Hitoshi berated himself –this was getting ridiculous, he would surely end up being jealous of any person calling Kai's name by the looks of it.

Tala was Kai's friend, and if the latter trusted him, there was nothing wrong with this.

"Kai, it's a pleasure to see you are awake," Mrs. Kobayashi spoke with a calm but sweet voice, smiling a little. "My name is Shan Kobayashi, and your friends here took you to me after you fainted… are you up to answer some of my questions?"

Kai stood silent; Tala and Hitoshi now knew of his hands, but… he did not trust the doctor. For how much she looked nice, doctors had always being harsh and vicious with him in the past. How could he be sure she was not going to be just as bad?

"(Kai, we are no more in Russia,)" Tala looked at him seriously. "(No one of us wants you to keep on acting as if nothing's wrong –for God's sake Kai, you _fainted_ back there! Stop being an ass and answer yes!)"

Kai stared down at his hands, knowing he'd been injected with some kind of strong painkiller. It would be not much until the effect disappeared, and he did not want to go back to his clouded by pain state.

"Yes, Mrs Kobayashi," he finally answered, looking straight at her with determined eyes.

She nodded, feeling satisfied by the reply, and she motioned to Kai to sit properly on the edge of the bed, which he did.

"Now, your friends here told me you seem to have some problem with your hands, is that true?" she was almost sure this was the real cause of his pain, but had to ask him.

Kai nodded warily, not taking his eyes away from her. He wished for the other two to leave him alone, but on the same time, he didn't want to be left alone with the doctor.

Stupid contrasting conflicts.

"Since when your hands started to hurt? And… can you describe me what kind of pain you feel?" she looked at him and waited.

Refusing to look at Tala and Hitoshi, Kai bit his lower lip, "since the end of the tournament, the BeyBlade tournament, some weeks ago… it started by simply twitching, and then they started trembling," he paused, not used to say this much all in one time.

"Then the pain increased, is that right? And it's worse in the mornings," Mrs Kobayashi nodded when Kai confirmed what she'd said. She bit her lip, she knew she would get dangerously daring by asking the teen that, but she needed to know. "Did something happen, something that may have had some… impact on your life, emotionally speaking? I mean, have you been through something that may have caused a shock, or a severe state of exhaustion?"

Kai bit his lips, he knew he had, but…

"I knew," she replied, seeing the tenseness in the teen's stance. "Kai, you may have been stressed for physical and mental strain, which caused a reaction in your body –you can't control your nerves, and this causes your hands to hurt at every little movement".

Kai frowned, "isn't this called arthritis?" he shuddered, "I'm not old enough to have it".

"Contrariwise to what people think, arthritis is not something that affects only older people. In fact, though it affects more female than male and it is usually common in older people, arthritis can affect young children and teens and adults all the same," Mrs. Kobayashi looked at Kai seriously, "under sixteen of age it's commonly called Juvenile Arthritis, but there are others as well, like Septic Arthritis, which is usually followed by high fever," she cleared her throat, pausing to have Kai take in this before continuing.

That slate haired teen she was facing looked way older than the form compiled from his friend said he was, and she knew she had to tell him personally and not to the oldest teen in the room –the bluenette that looked like he was of age.

Silence met her words, not even Tala or Hitoshi were able to say something, the tension was almost solid.

"Arthritis causes pain in the affected part, and in the worst case, osteoarthritis, it is origin of loss of mobility and stiffness, together with a burning sensation or a sharp pain flaring through the whole body at the mere touch –and it is degenerative and not curable. Though this kind of arthritis is found only in old people, there may be cases in which it can affect younger ones, such as great shock, unbearable strain, or some kind of trauma. But by the looks of it, I don't think you are suffering from it".

Kai frowned once again, "But every single thing you said confirmed that I…"

"I am a doctor, Kai," she interrupted him with a calm but serious tone. "I can see you've suffered from a great stress, maybe even a trauma, but I don't think you have arthritis. I think the pain, the stiffness and the trembling are a side effect of a psychological trauma, which affected your Nervous System. This will fade away if given time, but to be sure I'll run some tests and X–rays, if you are ok with that".

Kai nodded slowly, taking in all she'd said; he was relieved that there was a possibility he hadn't contracted arthritis, and he was willingly to run the tests she needed to do, so he could be completely sure.

He felt Tala's hand grip his shoulder in comfort, and he relaxed slightly, glancing at him gratefully for the support the red haired teen was giving him in such situation. He really needed him and was glad he hadn't left, after all.

"I'll need some blood sample for the blood tests, such as full blood count, and electrolytes, and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, or ESR," she stood up and pressed a red button that was above the bed, and after a moment a nurse –different from the previous one– entered the room. "Please, take some blood samples from him," and proceeded to tell her exactly how much she needed, while Kai turned to Hitoshi and Tala.

Crimson eyes were uncertain and slightly scared, though it was hard to see it if one did not know what to find. But Tala knew, and he let himself relax as much as to hug Kai again, knowing against prejudgement that he needed the comfort.

……………………………………………

Brooklyn just stood there.

He'd stood there while Rei yelled at him; he'd stood there while the rest of the group were informed by Moses that Hitoshi had left for a while –to do what, Moses hadn't specified.

But now, as the glared returned towards him, he felt as if he needed to say something… to explain, but to explain what? He himself did not know what was there to explain.

"Brooklyn?"

There he was, Garland.

His so called best friend.

Another guilty feeling the moment Brooklyn realized that in fact, he had treated Garland as nothing more than an object as well.

And still…

"I know what you feel, Brooklyn," was all that was said by the teal haired blader as he looked solely at him, not at the other bladers that were standing there stunned –they had expected Garland to stand up and be angry at him… not to speak such in a calm manner.

Brooklyn lifted his eyes and stared at him, confused.

It was just too much, all of that caused by Kai, directly or indirectly… but this was not at all uncomfortable. Yes, they were looking in hatred and mistrust at him, but the confusion he was feeling inside, the storm in his mind, the guilt, the insecurity, were all better than his usual apathy.

As if he was starting to feel…

"Kai has proved to be something you had no control upon," Garland continued, this time more to the others than to him. "You always thought you could control anything, because you _knew_ everything. But meeting with Kai proved you wrong… because you couldn't control _him_ –he had something you longed for, passion".

Garland always proved himself worthy Brooklyn's attention and respect. He was really intelligent…

"Brooklyn didn't want to humiliate Kai," Garland turned to the group, looking fierce. "But Kai has something that Brooklyn can't understand, and I think someway he wants it…" he turned to Tyson especially, since the bluenette had fought against the orange haired teen and had seen a glimpse of his past. "He was always shunned out because of what he was, this way he couldn't feel what normal emotions were like, and now, that he has met someone whose emotions run deep, he can't but be attracted by them".

Brooklyn felt like agreeing and shaking his head in frustration. Yes, that was it, but in the same way, it wasn't.

It was not enough to describe the strong obsession, the feeling of deep need, the warmth and the feeling of being completed…

"You are not accustomed to this… you tried to control something you want?" Tyson asked tentatively.

Brooklyn stood there, his pupils dilated, looking at his hands.

'_That's not it, that's not it,'_ he repeated over and over in his mind. _'Something's amiss… but what?'_

"I'm sorry" he said.

Void of any emotions in his voice, green eyes were constricted and filled with confusion. Guilt. Shock. Again, he was wrong.

On the inside, he was nothing but a blur of contrasting emotions, feelings, thoughts, but on the outside, he just stood there, looking blankly at the floor.

"I am sorry" he repeated, this time in a whisper.

And he really meant it.

He didn't want Kai to feel threatened, or humiliated by any mean. He wanted to feel, and…

"I am sorry" he repeated again, his voice trembling slightly.

Silence met this. He dared to look up, and saw something flicker in Rei's eyes. It was not anger, not anymore –the golden pools were void of anger now, maybe it was out of his system– but there was something else… could it be, understanding?

Why would Rei look at him this way?

What could have sparkled such thing as understanding… not knowledge, but mere understanding in his eyes?

"Then, I expect you to tell this to Kai," the raven haired blader said quietly, with a hint of… sadness?

Again, Brooklyn was amiss.

Sadness?

Tyson looked at the calm Rei with a frown, he obviously couldn't understand. One moment he was ready to lapidate Brooklyn, the moment after he was standing there, almost smiling.

"I don't think Kai will be that forgiving with you, but still, you owe him an apology" Rei continued, then stared at the others in the room, finding out that most of them, though they did not reach the same conclusion as him, were still calmer than before and were willingly to forget what happened.

They just needed to wait for Kai to calm down as well, and be back.

……………………………………………

"That's fine, now the results will probably be ready in some days. Whilst with the X–rays I can already tell it's nothing wrong with your bones, after your blood tests I will be able to tell you more," Mrs. Kobayashi smiled warmly, "but I am sure it's nothing to worry about… in case if the pain it's too strong, I have the prescription for some painkillers, and here's my number, in case you need it".

Mrs. Kobayashi handed Kai a piece of paper and he tried to take a hold on it, but the numbing feeling of the painkiller prevented his hands from really taking a proper hold on it, so Mrs. Kobayashi gave it to Tala instead.

She proceeded then to take from her personal cupboard two rows of painkillers, two different ones, one in a tube and one in pills.

"You don't have to take many of them, it's either one or the other, depending on how strong the pain is," she explained. "This one in the tube is a lotion, when the pain is not unbearable, you can apply it on your skin, and it will numb it".

She showed Kai a small tube.

"It's called EMLA cream, Eutectic mixture of Local Anaesthetic. It'll make your hands go numb, but it will prevent the pain… anyway, when the pain is too strong, you can take this," she showed him the pills. "This will make you a little drowsy after a while, but it's a good one and it lasts long".

Kai looked at both the sets of painkillers and nodded, before taking one of the pills straight away with a gulp of water. The injection's effect was already disappearing and he knew the pain would be strong this time.

Tala nodded to the doctor and the three of them exited the hospital, and went to the car. Whilst Tala was making sure no one was in the way for them to leave the parking, Kai looked seriously at Hitoshi, that was securing his seatbelt.

"Thanks," he said with a soft voice.

As Hitoshi was about to reply, crimson eyes stopped him as the slate haired teen added, "don't tell anyone what happened".

Hitoshi found himself staring into the burning eyes and nodded, knowing it was not his place to tell. He knew there was something more to the problem than Kai had said, but still.

"I won't," he said.

Tala jumped in the back seat, holding the two painkillers for Kai, and turned to the slate haired teen with a light smirk, "I am glad to know now, because I've felt responsible for your pain".

Kai turned to him.

No words were spoken, because there was no need of them. Tala felt his heart warm up a little, knowing Kai was not blaming him.

Kai returned his stare towards the street and Tala secured his own seatbelt, his mind wandering away from Kai, that now he knew was, albeit partially, fine, to other matters.

He knew it was Brooklyn's fault that Kai was so hurt. Kai was obviously scared by Brooklyn. But the red haired teen wasn't going to blame it all on him.

Brooklyn, like all of them, had been one of Boris' puppets. Treated as a weapon.

Maybe even worst, by the way he reacted, as if he did not know how to work emotions out. Not worst than any of them, but still, worst of how the others of the BEGA team had been treated.

A last glance at Kai told him that the painkiller was already having its counter effect on him, since his shoulders were drooping and his head was lightly dangling.

Shaking his head he knew he had to speak to Rei, and then ask Hitoshi if he could give them a lift to home… Kai didn't seem in condition to walk all the way to their apartment, and he knew how much the slate haired teen despised the use of his limo.

Reaching Tyson's dojo Tala wondered if it was better to leave Kai in the car and go retrieve Rei and their things, but Kai was already out of the car, and was walking towards the entrance of the house. Shaking his head amusedly, Tala decided to go for the dojo as Hitoshi walked through the garden in search of Grandpa Granger.

As the door of the dojo opened, Tala found himself under the eyes of all the bladers, that stared at him with expectation, knowing he'd been with Kai all the time –hell, all of them knew how close the two were.

"So? Where is Kai?" Rei asked, stepping towards Tala. "Brooklyn wanted to say he's sorry for what happened… is it all ok?"

Tala bit his lower lip, deciding he would tell Rei when they were alone, so instead he pointed to the corridor that lead to the kitchen and the other rooms and coughed lightly, "he's not it his better mood, but I suggest Brooklyn to go and apologize now, we're going back home straight after".

The Neko–Jin knew something was wrong the moment the azure eyes met his, but said nothing, knowing Tala would tell when he felt it was the right moment.

"Brooklyn, come on" Tyson pointed towards the corridor and Tala saw the orange head slowly have his way towards the dojo room, not looking at any of them, as if lost in his thoughts, as if… afraid?

No, not afraid.

But uncertain.

Tala sighed.

He looked like he was unsure about going to see Kai, but he also knew, Kai would not really mind, not in his current state.

Brooklyn nodded to him and disappeared through the door, whilst he and Rei followed at a certain distance, stopping in the deserted corridor so no one would hear them speak.

"Now, tell me, what's wrong?" Rei demanded.

……………………………………………

Brooklyn faced the door with a hint of something far worse than insecurity. He was frozen on his tracks; he couldn't make himself walk through the door to look at Kai in his eyes, not after what he'd done to him.

How could he be so stupid and blind not to see the way he was acting around others? What could explain, what could make him less miserable in the eyes of someone he'd treated this poorly?

Object.

Kai was not an object.

He was someone Brooklyn… cared?

Interested about was not anymore what he was feeling.

He was interested in some of the bladers in the dojo as well, but just because of their reactions and skills; he was interested in Kai in a different way, somehow deeper, and the guilty was so strong it turned into something more as he reached the doorknob.

Fear.

Like during their fight, when he'd realized he was losing against a nobody.

Fear of the reaction.

But Kai was no nobody anymore.

He was someone. Not something. Someone. Someone Brooklyn had taken interest upon, then lust, then… care.

Yes, he cared for Kai.

Sort of.

Not even this term could explain. Not entirely.

He feared what Kai's reaction could be.

But he still had to look up by himself, and stilling with his resolve, he finally opened the door and entered.

The sitting room was empty, apart a figure that was sitting on an armchair, kissed by the sun coming from a window. Brooklyn was left to gaze in wonder and hidden awe at the beauty Kai possessed.

He was somehow relaxed; he wasn't trebling, not like he did when Brooklyn had kissed him. The orange haired teen prayed that Tala had been able to calm him down, so he could apologize.

He felt unsure as he reached for him, and awkwardly he kneeled down, so to look at Kai straight in the eyes –that is, if the slate haired teen was ever going to look his way.

"Kai…?" he whispered tentatively.

No answer, but Kai's eyes turned slowly to him, lightly unfocused; Brooklyn did not notice it, as he was too caught in what he was trying to say to care.

"Kai, I wanted to say I am sorry for… having kissed you like this," this was going quite good, compared to the worst of his scenarios that had been playing in his mind ever since he had realized the reality of his actions. "I don't know what happened… right now, I really can't understand what made me act that way, and for this, I am so sor–"

No words left his lips after that, he was left speechless.

Kai had been trying to sit up –through his dazed mind he'd realized Brooklyn was too near for his own good– but the part of his mind that wasn't blurred was not afraid of him. Through unfocused sight and similar clouded mind, the fear he should have normally felt for the orange haired teen wasn't there, quieted as well as the pain.

But inside him, he was feeling quite… serene.

Relaxed and even… at ease.

He knew he should be trembling in fear but he was not. He was almost… contented. Some part of him, a part that he was not going to admit it existed, was telling him it was not the effect of the painkillers.

But still, no Black Dranzer haunting his mind.

No Zeus.

No darkness and no black void.

Only a figure in front of him, saying something he couldn't quite understand, but causing his entire being to relax.

So he simply let go, slipping into unconsciousness, both by the combined strain and by the effect of the pill.

His weight fell forwards, and would have fallen on the floor if not for Brooklyn.

Not that the orange haired teen did anything.

But as Kai slumped forwards, he fell softly on Brooklyn's chest.

Deeply asleep.

Brooklyn simply stood there, so shocked he couldn't even move, heart beating so fast he feared it would explode in his chest, red gracing his cheeks as he felt something fill his heart.

It was not the usual emptiness or the darkness, or the nothingness.

It was… warm. And it made Brooklyn's heart ache in a way that, even if painful, he did not mind.

So he just stood there, and minutes passed, and he just admired in awe the sleeping serene face of the teen against his chest, closing his eyes in the end, enjoying the warmth.

On the door, golden eyes stared, a flicker of sadness passing through them, and then, it was gone.

……………………………………………

**MasterFranny:** too long. Chapter too fucking long. Hope you are happy.

THANKS To **Kurosaisei** which gave me information about anaesthetics and painkillers. For more info about arthritis, check on wikipedia. Kai has **not** arthritis.

Now, leave out a review, will yah? So I will keep updating fast…


	8. Easing around

**MasterFranny:** Shandarou! –punches the air– I've finally out of my system "Chains of Love" so hopefully, Kammyh won't kill me and I can continue this fic… she doesn't read it and she's not pleased I spend my time writing this one when I should write more TalaKai.

Oh, and, I was asked to write this one BrooklynKaiTala, so it's time to have Garland and Tala work out on their own problems… otherwise it'll be a problem. This **IS** GarlandTala! Damn it!

And, to all of you –since someone asked– no, Rei is not in love with Kai. He just realized what Brooklyn is starting to feel and is worried and sad for him since he also knows what Kai thinks at the moment. Or at least, what Kai thinks he's thinking at the moment. XD

POINTLESS CHAPTER… ONCE AGAIN! . 

……………………………………………

**Rating**: T

**Summary:** Takes place after G-Rev. Kai still has some 'grudges' against Brooklyn, but the older teen is determined to erase them… Yaoi BrooklynKai and GarlandTala, ReiMystel.

**Warning:** this contains Yaoi so if you don't like stop reading right now. Any flame regarding yaoi use of pairings will be handed to Hiei and Kai to be disposed of.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own. Otherwise there wouldn't be a second season like the one we had and there would be a side season filled with yaoi...

"Talking"

'_Thinking'_

"(Talking into other languages)"

–**Dreams sequences, flashbacks, memories–**

……………………………………………

**Alluring Darkness**

**Chapter 08: Easing around**

Really, he should try to ease on that painkiller.

Waking up from his painkiller–induced sleep, Kai had found himself in Hitoshi's car –once again.

For a second he wondered if they did arrive at Tyson's dojo –there was this faint memory of walking to the sitting room indeed– but his mind was so blurred he couldn't really remember. Then, he saw he had his bag with him, so he supposed that yes, they did stop at Tyson's.

"You're up again?" Rei's voice came from the back seat. "Are you ok now?"

Turning his head to look at him, he saw golden eyes sparkle with worry and some kind of emotion he couldn't really read, and shook his head to further clear it from the sleep.

"Hai," Kai replied, not sure of Tala had revealed to the raven haired blader what had happened outside of the dojo.

He was somehow sure he had, since they were living together and it was obvious he had to know what Kai had. Rei nodded in relief, smiling brightly. The Neko–Jin wasn't the last bit angry of how he was forced to let go all his previous plans of wooing Mystel to go back with the two Russians, because after Tala had explained him what Kai was suffering, he too was feeling rather guilty about it. To think that, he hadn't even noticed the pain Kai was going through.

"Don't look so worried, pussy cat," Tala smirked as Rei yelped –_that_ was new.

'_Pussy cat!'_ Rei's eyes turned into slits as he proceeded to smash his bag on Tala's head, who on his part tried vainly to shift away, covering his head with his arms in an attempt to protect himself. On the front seat, Kai chuckled slightly, and Hitoshi chuckled as well.

"Thanks for the lift," Tala said as the car stopped in front of Kai's manor. Yeah, it was indeed a manor.

"No prob," Hitoshi replied. "I wanted to know where Kai and you all lived anyway," he smiled and winked in Kai's direction with a wave of his hand, "anything you need, call me," with that he and his car disappeared behind the corner.

Tala furrowed his brow and looked at Rei, who looked back thinking the same, _'is Hitoshi hitting on Kai?'_ with an addition to Rei's part, _'as well?'_

Kai, who was blind to everything, especially to Hitoshi's acting –being quite contented in his painless state– dismissed completely the other two and walked inside, but soon he was cornered by his friends. Both of them dropped their casual stances to look at him in worry and mild anger, wanting to know why on hell Kai hadn't told them about his hands, or his problems.

Rei grabbed the slate haired teen by his arm –wary not to touch his hands– and pushed him in the sitting room and on the couch, sitting beside him with the red head.

For some seconds there was silence, since the Phoenix did not want to start that awkward conversation, but forced by the two's glares he decided to oblige.

You know, it's not nice to be in the middle, in–between a scary looking and demanding cat and an equally scary looking and demanding wolf. Kai felt like a bird caught in a trap.

"What?" he grumbled.

"Kai, what's happening to you?" Tala's icy azure eyes were filled with worry and again, Kai snorted.

"Nothing. I had… a problem, that's all," he did not convince either of them, though.

"Kai, don't you realize that we are your friends? You ought us some explaining!" Rei joined in, not leaving any space to more excuses.

Kai sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, then he looked warily at the red haired blader and at the Chinese teen, "I can't" he mumbled.

He felt stupid, because it was some sort of mental block that caused him to panic when he looked at a beyblade, and it was stress that caused the sheer pain in his hands. How could they force him to explain this? He simply couldn't!

How could he even _think_ about telling them? This was a weakness he refused to declare. He knew he was weak, he knew he was just running away from the problem, but… he felt scared. For the first time since he was away from Voltaire and Boris, he felt afraid. Brooklyn was trying to humiliate him, to degrade him, to make him vulnerable and weak… and he was accomplishing his goal completely.

Most of all because… he evoked in Kai something he couldn't recognize, and at the same time, he could. Fake feeling of longing. Just like Black Dranzer.

He knew he should stop thinking about her, but he couldn't; to the others it had been a flicker three years before, but to him, it was still real and present, as if she was with him and not in the bottom of Lake Baikal.

Still haunting him, now with the appearance of Brooklyn, and Zeus.

Faking interest. Faking warmth. Only to attract him and drown him in darkness and despair…

It took him a lot to trust anyone after his experience with Boris, Black Dranzer and the Abbey. But now he trusted the BladeBreakers, even Daichi, he trusted Tala and Robert from the Majestics; he couldn't trust the others, but he could live around them feeling rather relaxed.

But not Brooklyn…

How could he trust him? Especially after the kiss.

A kiss that showed the other bladers that Brooklyn was still stronger, was still in power, was still above him. Controlling him.

He didn't want to be controlled!

Noticing he would not speak, Rei sighed in despair, "I know this is not the way we should have asked you, but still… it's about Brooklyn, isn't it?"

Kai's eyes widened. In the rush of what happened with the doctor and the painkillers, he'd forget Brooklyn and the kiss. But now, all was coming back to him, together with the faint memory that… he had seen Brooklyn when he was under the effect of his painkiller.

He had been there. Staring at him, saying something…

What?

Why Brooklyn was haunting him? Why Brooklyn wanted to humiliate him so much?

"It's not him!" he said, trying to sound cold and emotionless, but failing completely, his voice rising to a high pitch.

Then he stood up and pushing the two away he exited the room and disappeared around a corner.

Tala slapped his hand on his forehead, slumping on the couch.

"It's Brooklyn" he stated quietly.

"I knew," Rei soon mimicked Tala's defeated stance on the couch. "I went to search for him some days ago, I think he met Brooklyn, because… he was panicking and I didn't know what to do to calm him down…"

Tala closed his eyes. Brooklyn was more of a problem than what he'd first thought. But they needed to sort things out. They really needed it.

"Mendokusai yo," Tala uncharacteristically mumbled.

"You read too much of Naruto lately," Rei grinned and Tala glared at him.

……………………………………………

"Brooklyn?" Garland called.

No answer.

The teal haired teen sighed. That was quite problematic.

Despite what he had said to the rest of the teens at the party, Garland knew better than that. Garland knew Brooklyn.

Even if he'd been friends with the orange haired blader only for a few years, he felt like he was the only person that really knew Brooklyn. He knew of the darkness residing in his heart, but that was quite normal, after all, Kai had one as well, even if Garland didn't know anything at all about it. He knew Brooklyn had hard time in taking interest into things that were not animals or nature–related, and that he couldn't have normal interaction with other people.

And now, despite the lust over Kai's passion, which was what attracted Brooklyn at first –Garland was sure of that– something more was blossoming, something that Garland had expected but not quite as strong.

Brooklyn had to deal with something new that he couldn't control and he couldn't even understand, yes, this could confuse anyone that went through the childhood Brooklyn had –Garland mildly wondered what kind of childhood Kai and Tala had on their own.

Shaking his head at the thoughts he looked one more time at Brooklyn's closed door and walked to the gym, considering if he should get some more training or if it was better to relax for a while.

The sound of a phone ringing shook him out of his thoughts as he heard one of his siblings answer it.

"Garland! It's for you! It's someone called… uh, Tala!" his older sister yelled to him, and he raised one eyebrow in surprise –that was the last thing he expected.

Picking up the phone from his sister's hand he looked at her until she got the message and walked away waving her hands in the air, "yes?" he felt it was safe to speak now.

His sister could be really annoying and eavesdropper.

"Garland? Hey, here's Tala speaking" came the voice from the other end. "I wanted to know, if you would want to come over tomorrow at Kai's for the match we discussed about".

Garland felt a wave of fighting spirit hit him straight on the chest and is face hardened up, "sure, anytime! Tomorrow you say? Well, I'll be there at three, get yourself ready to be defeated once again".

He couldn't stop the wave of intense fire that was burning inside him at the prospective of having a valiant fight against the red head.

"I think that… if you bring someone with you, I don't know, maybe someone that has to beg for forgiveness, it would be ok," Tala added with a polite cough.

Garland felt a smile tug at the corners of his lips as he nodded to himself, knowing that Kai's friend wanted it to be done as fast as possible. If on Brooklyn's part the attraction was quite clear, despite what the one experiencing it thought, on Kai's part the things were getting dangerously hard to determine.

Brooklyn needed to have a speech with Kai. Without being his usual self…

"Fine, I'll see if I can," Garland hung up and returned up in front of Brooklyn's bedroom door, knocking on it softly, "Brooklyn? I know you are inside here".

Again, no answer –but the teal haired teen was sure Brooklyn was not outside, for once.

"We'll be going to Kai's tomorrow. I have a match to spar with Tala, and you will come with me".

A shuffle from the inside told him that Brooklyn heard, and feeling rather happier than before, Garland resumed his former idea to go and train a little more –just to be sure to defeat Tala the next day…

……………………………………………

Mystel glanced up at the blue sky, eyes resting upon the white fluffy clouds, sighing in content as he gazed around from his spot on the highest branch of some random tree; really, he didn't even know where he was, but the sight was quite breathtaking from there, so he figured it didn't matter if he did not know how he was supposed to find Garland's house.

Hell, he couldn't find the way around the city –or anywhere else either– even if it depended on his life…

Stupid lacking sense of direction.

When he wanted to go to the park he ended up near the river… and since he loved the park… he always ended up around the river side. To think, people believed him to _love_ the river…

How amusing…

If people were to know that in fact, he wasn't always disappearing because he liked to, but because he quite often lost himself wandering around, even when he was just searching for the bathroom, he would end up making a very bad impression.

'_After all, I can stay here some more before trying to find my way towards Garland's…'_ he thought, placing himself more comfortably on the branch. _'It shouldn't be this hard, in fact… I already know where it is… I just need to find it again…'_

He wasn't even wearing his mask, because the warmth of the sun was nice on his skin. He just wanted to stay up there some more, and think…

About what?

A flash passed through his mind, and Mystel found himself thinking about a certain ebony haired teen and his strange and unusual behaviour.

Rei…

Hell, even that, when he was searching for Japan instead he found himself in China, meeting with this freaky clan where all the people resembled cats –usually not giving him that good impression– and meeting with Rei –who on the other end, was absolutely divine.

Despite everything, Rei looked the pure essence of grace and lethal beauty.

Mystel really didn't know how to act around the Chinese blader.

First he was always winking at him… and doing strange things that caused him to blush and to feel… uneasy.

Like what he did at the breakfast table with the syrup… that was unexpected.

He really liked Rei, but sometimes… he couldn't understand him.

With a sigh he resumed looking at the sky, wondering if he should try to find where Rei lived at the moment to clear things out with him once for all.

That would be pretty hard, considering his tendency to get lost.

Nonetheless, he would try.

Even if only, to see Rei's golden eyes…

Whatever that meant… Mystel couldn't deny he loved the way those eyes sparkled when they spotted him –_him_, of all people.

But first, he needed to go and find Garland's house –the captain of their team told him he would be well accepted here, if he were to pass in the neighbours, and since Mystel lost the way to the apartment he lived into two days ago…

Heh. Mr. Dickinson gave it to him, but he could never find it. So, he slept twice onto some tree, never caring since it was warm and it had never rained. Now, since the clouds looked like they were preparing for a thunderstorm, he could use some kind of roof on his head.

Mystel sighed deeply and let himself fall from the tree, catching a whiff of wind and jumping up high, looking down to the ground in hope to see what he was searching for.

There was this playground he was sure he knew, and after it, a busy street.

Then, this huge building… a grocery shop?

That, he didn't remember at all…

Scratching his head in confusion, Mystel landed with grace on the top of a lamp and jumped up high again, glancing around. He was sure this way there was a bakery, instead, he found a laundry.

Strange.

Blinking he shrugged, obviously he got lost again. Nothing too bad in this.

If only he could return to the tree he was before, he was sure he could find the way to Garland's house.

If only he remembered where was that tree…

'_Well, that's fine, I am in the middle of the city, it has to be somewhere around here!'_ he thought to himself, shining with optimism.

"Hey! Mystel!"

Eyes gazed down discreetly and saw a flash of ebony and two golden eyes.

Too much to ask for.

'_Must be my day,'_ he smiled brightly and with a twist in midair he landed soundlessly near the Chinese blader, surprised to see him here, in the first place.

Much to his discomfort, since he had forgot what Rei usually did in his presence, Mystel looked as the raven haired blader smiled at him flirtatiously and grabbed his arm. The Egyptian blader found himself shocked when he couldn't remove himself from Rei's grip.

"Ano, you don't really think I'll let you go now, ne?" Rei smiled rather devilishly and tugged Mystel to come along. "You can come and help me with the groceries… by the way, what are you doing around here? I though you liked to linger around the river neighbours!"

Mystel blinked, a rush of warmth spreading from the spot where Rei was touching him to the rest of his body, and felt himself flush lightly; he liked the contact…

"I was searching for Garland's house," he said, smiling back and trying to ignore the sensations. "I thought it was around there…"

"I really don't know, but you can come with me and ask Kai… I am sure he knows where it is, or at least, he has his phone number… what were you going to ask him?"

Mystel relaxed at Rei's warm mood and smiled even more, "I can't find my way back to the house Mr. Dickinson rented me… so I wanted to ask him if I could sleep over his house since this night it might rain…"

Rei stared at him with both curiosity and mischievousness, the first because he was confused about what Mystel had said –it was a sunny day!– and the latter because, well… that was his lucky day. Kai would be easy to convince and so he would finally see where Mystel lived!

Yatta!

"I am sure Kai will let you in fir a night," Rei smiled and tightened his grasp on Mystel's arm for a brief moment. "After that, we can call Mr. Dickinson and ask where your house is– wait!" Rei stopped and turned to him, surprised. "That means you slept out in the open the last few nights!"

Mystel smiled at him so brightly Rei had to bite his lip hard to prevent himself from jumping on the Egyptian in the middle of the street.

"Yeah," Mystel replied.

Rei stared at him dumbfounded, while the blond wondered what was wrong with that.

"Ok…" Rei shook his head and resumed walking, "come on, let's go to the market… I needed some things to prepare dinner".

"You know how to cook? Really?" Mystel pried his arm out of the Tiger's grasp but enjoying the closeness he did not move away. "I settled on instant ramen and things like this…"

Rei groaned.

Sleeping out in the open, useless food… where in the world Mystel lived! Absolutely clueless, and absolutely adorable.

Oh, the possibilities…

Rei's lips turned into a sly grin as he fastened his pace, eyes glinting with excitement. Oh, yes. He could treat Mystel with food alright…

……………………………………………

Brooklyn, there again, was thinking about Kai.

He knew he should get some kind of hobby –thinking all day about a certain slate haired teen would be considered an obsession if people were to know– but he couldn't.

Staying in his room reading Garland's manga hadn't helped at all –still, he had never thought he would end up wishing for the new volume of InuYasha to come out soon, nor to feel sorry for a certain character called Count Cain, since all kind of horrible things happened to him when he was young.

Neither reading a book had turned successfully –Armand the Vampire only reminded him of Kai, and the sensual parts of it caused an inner turmoil that was threatening to turn into the same situation that caused him to relieve himself the night before.

He went outside to see if nature could help, and in a way, it did –he gazed at a butterfly for half an hour before realizing he'd spaced out from his spacing out to think about how beauty the butterfly was, and how similar the crimson if its wings was to the one of Kai's eyes.

Kai… he couldn't really think about something else than him. Why?

Ok, maybe some way he did care for him, but the more he searched for a word to describe the feelings he felt for the slate haired blader, the more he failed to find it.

It was just that…

What?

What could that be?

Why was his chest aching so much? Why were Kai's eyes haunting him? Why the thought of Kai asleep against his chest filled him with warmth, so strong he felt painfully aware of the cold when he had retreated, pulling Kai on the couch when Tala had entered the sitting room to pick him up.

And the content and… possessiveness when Tala let him pick Kai up to place him in the car.

It felt right.

Right to carefully hold the sleeping teen in his arms as he asked the red haired blader about his hands.

Right to hold him tightly against his chest, feeling the warmth of Kai's skin against his own, feeling his heartbeat in unison with his…

Right to gingerly brush a finger on the still mark–less face in awe, completely caught by the beauty of the sleeping face.

As if Kai belonged here.

As if… it was his place.

He wanted it to be his place.

And how wrong it felt to let Kai go. To place him in the seat next to a fuming Hitoshi –though, Tyson's brother's face was really a sight– and to feel that emptiness inside.

The cold.

He wanted to hold Kai again.

In his arms.

To feel their hearts beat together, to hold him and to tell him how much he cared…

And this time, he wanted Kai to be awake, to feel he didn't mean any harm to him.

He needed Kai to feel his care. He needed him to…

… Need him.

Green eyes flickered with determination as he looked up at the red sun that was slowly falling down, sunset burning with red fire and orange, the sight absolutely breathtaking. Tomorrow he would be going to Kai's. This time, he wanted to make sure to apologize properly, and start walking in the right direction and in the right way… towards Kai, not against him.

'_Maybe, really, I can ask something about what made him this cold and close,'_ Brooklyn wondered to himself, gazing distractedly at a bee buzzing around his head.

He was going to solve the mystery that was Hiwatari, Kai.

……………………………………………

**MasterFranny:** heh. So, another chapter finished. I wanted to celebrate because I am finally out of my first Japanese exam –even if I won't know how I faired until six days. Er… what do you think of this? Review, please!

It's just me, or I made Mystel a mix of Ryouga and Hatsuharu?

_Mendokusai yo_ – "how troublesome" (Shikamaru's quote from Naruto… I love Shikamaru).

Btw, I will probably state my death by telling you this but… I feel like posting a Naruto fic in the near future… yaoi, ShikaNaru, ItaNaru or GaaNaru… heh… maybe one of each, but not all of them in the same time.


	9. Seducing

**MasterFranny:** I am surprised and pleased about the many reviews I got! I love you all! Can you believe that this is near its 200th review! O.O I mean, this started only because I wanted a BrooklynKai!

No GarlandTala interaction, no BrooklynKai interaction but… ReiMystel! Woot:)

Stop asking me about HitoshiKai, stop saying I made you like this pairing! I am starting to HATE it! . Really!

……………………………………………

**Rating**: T

**Summary:** Takes place after G-Rev. Kai still has some 'grudges' against Brooklyn, but the older teen is determined to erase them… Yaoi BrooklynKai and GarlandTala, ReiMystel.

**Warning:** this contains Yaoi so if you don't like stop reading right now. Any flame regarding yaoi use of pairings will be handed to Hiei and Kai to be disposed of. THIS CONTAINS SMALL LIME! DON'T LIKE, DON'T GO FURTHER WITH THIS!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own. Otherwise there wouldn't be a second season like the one we had and there would be a side season filled with yaoi...

"Talking"

'_Thinking'_

"(Talking into other languages)"

–**Dreams sequences, flashbacks, memories–**

……………………………………………

**Alluring Darkness**

**Chapter 09: Seducing**

Tala entered in the kitchen only to find a very happy, smug and bouncy Rei preparing something in a big pot.

The scent coming from whatever he was cooking was enough to make Tala's mouth water in anticipation, so he sneaked behind the Neko–Jin with the intent of stealing something; he didn't care what it was, only that he wanted some.

"Whatcha cooking?" he asked, and Rei, startled by the sudden approach, jumped high with a shriek.

"Tala!"

The red head snickered, "that's me!"

And he received a spoon straight on his forehead.

"Don't try this ever again," Rei warned, growling at him, still shaking for the fright.

"Come on, what are you cooking here?" Tala tried to peer inside the pot, but had to retreat due to the spoon dangerously approaching his forehead again.

"Nothing for you, Wolfie, I am cooking something for dinner…" Rei hummed and returned to his cooking with a satisfied smile. "Mystel will stop by this night".

Tala smirked –which caused his face to look all wolfish like– and poking Rei in the ribs he snickered, "the cat's got the cream?"

Rei flashed a glare at him, "not yet… but I plan to" he smirked smugly at Tala, who rolled his eyes, "you look plainly freaky this way, try to calm down or you'll make him run for his life –or for his virginity".

"Who's virginity?"

Kai frowned entering the kitchen, having heard the last line, and saw the two identical smirks on his friends' faces, "on the other end, I don't want to know," he muttered.

"Aww come on, Kai! It's not like you are taboo with that! I mean, after all, you are too–" Tala was stopped by Kai's hand that came onto his mouth, but he bit on it, smirking deviously at Kai's astonished face.

"You fucking **bit** me!" he shrieked.

Rei chuckled at the display.

Around everyone else the two would act always stiff and cold, not willing to open up, but when they were alone, it all changed. The two were friends, and Rei could see it. He was glad they trusted him enough to let him see their carefree acting…

Tala smiled and grabbing Kai by his scarf –the other teen was trying to retreat before anything happened– he pulled him into a brotherly hug, by passing his arm around the slate haired teen's neck.

"Tala, let me go!"

Rei chuckled again at the sight and resumed his stirring, while Kai sniffed the air, "that's your meat stew, isn't it? You know how much I love that stuff!"

Rei nodded, "since you were so nice to let Mystel sleep here, I thought about actually thanking you with this!"

"I couldn't let him sleep in the open, besides, there are still free rooms around here… I wonder if I shouldn't leave this place for a smaller house… it's not like I couldn't afford it".

Tala made a chocking sound, tightening his hold on Kai's neck, "you can't! This is the best place to live in, you'd better not leave, or you'll have to take me away by force!"

"I was… ok, Tala, I won't, I won't, but please, calm down. Rei, you can always tell Mystel he can come here as well, you know how I hate this empty place".

The Neko–Jin smiled brightly, knowing that for how much Kai was used to live alone and all that crap, sharing a room, a house, with other people –during the tournaments, and now that– made him realize how much he liked the company of other living beings. After all, this house, imposing and enormous, was too empty for a single person.

"Thanks then, Kai–kun," The Tiger smiled.

Kai nodded and brushing away Tala's arm from his neck he walked out of the kitchen, leaving Rei at his troublesome preparations –or else he would have had to restrain himself from jumping on the pot.

Tala pouted seeing he would receive nothing and decided to go in the library to read something –he had his own personal shelf filled with manga and Anime DVD, thanks to Kai's money and grateful to the fact that, if he hadn't caused the slate haired blader to like them as well, there would be a much smaller collection in place of his huge one.

"By the way," he turned to the Neko–Jin, "where is Mystel? I didn't see him here".

"He asked if he could wash himself and I told him to take a shower…" Rei bit his lips to prevent himself from drooling at the thought. "He must be done by now, I left some of Kai's clothes for him… they were the only ones he would fit into, we both are too tall".

"Hell, Kai is really slim, I would never be able to wear his clothes…" Tala was proud of his built frame –built, but not too much. How Kai coped with his feminine figure, he couldn't tell. "Ok, see yah Pussy cat".

He evaded a flying spoon and laughing he walked down the corridor to reach the library. He was in the middle of a very good manga and he wanted to know what would happen to the characters… fortunately, this was already out and he could read the new volume without worrying about waiting a month, or more.

Climbing the first row of stairs he mildly wondered what would happen the day after, when not just Garland, but also Brooklyn were going to make an appearance.

Kai obviously wasn't too keen to meet with the orange haired teen, and Tala hated to force things out of his friend, but this was the only option… how could he know what was going on in Kai's mind anyway?

As he was about to grab the handle of the door of his room, the door opened by itself and he stepped back, surprised when he came to face Mystel.

"Mystel? What are you doing here?"

"I… don't know, I was searching for the bathroom," he replied lightly, smiling at the red head innocently. "Where are we?"

Tala's mouth corner twitched upwards, but he did not laugh –which was a really hard thing to accomplish. Instead he coughed and motioned to the stairs, "er… the bathroom is the second door on the first corridor upstairs, right after you turn left after the painting of Kai's great–grandfather…" he said.

Mystel blinked and smiled at him. Clearly he had not understood a single thing.

Tala groaned.

"I know, this house is huge…" he shook his head. "Come on, I'll show you around".

He went upstairs and motioned to the first corridor, "here, follow me…"

When Tala reached the bathroom door, he turned, "here it is, I know that–" he stopped and stared… Mystel wasn't there. "Mystel?"

No answer.

"Er…" Tala scratched his head, "where did he go?"

…

Mystel looked around in the corridor, puzzled. Where was Tala? He said he would be showing him around, but he was not there. He said the bathroom was upstairs and he'd followed him up, but as he turned to look at a picture, Tala was gone.

On the matter, where was _he?_

Mystel frowned… and opened a door.

The room was big, the walls covered with reddish wallpaper, and obviously it was not a bathroom; there was a twin sized bed in front of him, with silk covers, and a huge table at its side. Just above the bed there was a giant painting of two people, a man and a woman.

Mystel grimaced, he was lost, _again_.

'_Oh well, let's try again, shall we?'_ he thought to himself, but then, he looked closely at the painting and cocked his head in confusion. The two people in the painting… they resembled Kai a lot, to trained eyes.

Stepping under the painting, Mystel looked up, puzzled. Of course, this was Kai's house after all. A giant house, more like a manor, and it looked like it was old as well, so maybe, it was natural to have paintings instead of actual photos.

The man was tall, with blue–greyish hair and deep, brown eyes, and was wearing a blue suit; he looked obviously Japanese; the woman at his side was smiling sweetly and had crimson eyes and ocean blue hair, that reached her navel. She was beautiful, but the man was handsome as well.

'_Are they… Kai's parents?'_ Mystel wondered.

"Yes," a voice replied.

Mystel jumped high and grabbed the chandelier above him, hanging from it in shock as he looked down at the figure that had appeared behind him.

"Kai!" he screeched, all the while thinking, _'he was so silent I didn't even hear him coming… and did he just read my mind!'_

"Come down," Kai said with a faint amusement in his eyes. "And no, I didn't read your mind, but I know we are similar… so that's the first thing that someone thinks when they see them".

"So…" feeling vaguely ashamed of himself, Mystel jumped back down and looked sheepishly at Kai, "why aren't they here?"

"My parents are dead," Kai sighed. "I lived here with my grandfather, but now… let's just say I live with Tala and Rei".

Mystel frowned at the light undertone in Kai's voice, but did not reply to his speech; he never thought Kai to be that open, that was a first. And to come to know Kai lost both his parents, well, that was a real shock.

"So… what are you doing here?" the slate haired teen asked. "I thought Rei said you were taking a shower".

"Er…" Mystel blushed. "I couldn't find the bathroom".

Kai laughed, "I figured so much, you don't seem too friendly with sense of direction, am I right?" he snickered.

Mystel blushed more.

"Come on, it's down there, you were just in the wrong corridor," Kai turned and making sure Mystel was still behind, took him to the bathroom door, where he found Tala pacing.

"Ah! You!" Tala pointed his finger at Mystel, "you were right behind me! Then you disappeared!"

Mystel scratched the back of his head and excusing himself he entered the bathroom, while Kai chucked slightly, "I can see why Rei likes this guy so much," he commented.

Tala raised one eyebrow, "he's too innocent for his own good".

"Yes, he is. Rei will have a good time marking his territory" Kai smiled.

"Gods, Kai, how many painkillers did you take?" Tala rolled his eyes.

"Er… only one," Kai frowned. "But the pain is subsiding, I think I will go with the cream thing from now on".

Tala rolled his eyes again but was relieved to hear this, so he just patted Kai's shoulder and went downstairs, soon followed by the slate haired blader, _'wonder if he will find the way back down,'_ he thought and chuckled.

"What are you chuckling for?" Tala asked him, pissed off.

Kai merely shrugged.

……………………………………………

"Rei, this is plainly delicious!"

Tala waved his fork around enthusiastically as he ate, but no one paid attention to him. Kai was having some difficulty in managing to eat with his numb hands, so he was cursing silently, and Rei… well, Rei was lost in admiring Mystel, who was eating contentedly at his side, not aware of the stare of the other.

"Well, I think I am going to read a book," Kai gave up, his plate still half filled with food, and stood up. "Or something else that I can do…"

Rei waved at him, thinking he would have to find a way to make Kai eat even with his hands, and Tala, after sharing a glance with him, returned to his eating.

Kai coughed, "Tala, wanna come with me?"

"Hell, no!" Tala stated, pointing to the food. "I want more! It's delicious!"

Kai glared, "Tala… _wanna come with me?_"

He pointedly nudged his head in the general direction of Rei and Mystel. Tala followed his stare but then started eating again. Kai sighed exasperatedly, "Tala–" he nudged his head some more, glaring at his red headed dull friend, and finally, blue eyes lit up in understanding, "Ah!" he gasped, "I have a manga I have still to finish… for how much I'd love to stay, I think I am going to go and read it!"

He jumped up and ran out of the room, Kai following him rolling his eyes, but not before sharing a glance with a very, very, very grateful looking Chinese teen.

A glint passed through Rei's eyes, but went unnoticed by Mystel, who was having hard time trying not to blush. He was starting to get uncomfortable, because of his vicinity with Rei, and because he felt like he was near a tiger ready to jump on his prey.

Which was indeed quite true, but he didn't need to know this, now, did he?

He didn't mind spending his time with the Chinese blader, because he liked him a lot, but the way Rei acted around him… well, it was rather unnerving.

Rei's hand brushed against his as he put down his fork, and the blush on his cheeks appeared –what, the mere contact was making him blush!

The raven haired teen watched with amusement the internal struggle of the other teen, smiling slightly at the growing red on his cheeks.

It looked like Mystel was way too shy and… innocent… or should it be, clueless? So, he wasn't able to notice Rei when he flirted with him. Blind, maybe. But Rei felt something for him that was not a simple crush, or lust; he _loved_ –ah, the sweet sound of that word– him and he really wanted to see if Mystel would develop a similar feeling for him.

So, maybe a direct approach would work more. And, he loved to see the flush on those cheeks…

"You look really cute when you blush," Rei tried it, placing his chin on his hand.

Mystel's blush deepened.

The Egyptian started to fidget, hoping Rei would _not_ start with the same acting as the breakfast at Tyson's –he didn't though he could stand such a sight again.

"No, really, I like spending my time with you," the Neko–Jin smiled, his fangs flashing and his golden eyes sparkling with happiness. "I like you. I like you a lot".

Mystel tried to ignore the blush and cleared his throat, "I… eh… I like you too, Rei," he said, looking everywhere but in Rei's direction.

"Oh, really?" Rei leaned a little on him, making Mystel shift slightly. "How come?"

"Ah… you are nice, and you always are gentle… and…" Mystel was stuttering, the remaining of his food forgotten in his plate as he blushed furiously, trying to find the best words to explain to Rei why he liked him.

It was harder than he first thought.

"I don't really know why," he admitted, "I… well, I don't know…"

He hoped Rei would drop it, but instead, Rei smirked and leaned some more, "do you want to know why I like you?" he asked.

Mystel tried to answer but his voice did not come out.

"I like you because you are beautiful," Mystel's face could have been mistaken for a tomato at that point, "because you are strong, and you look like you are a fallen angel… I love you, Mystel".

Mystel widened his eyes in shock, his brain trying to process what Rei said to him, before shutting down completely when Rei leaned some more and brushed his lips against his.

It was just a small, sweet kiss, merely brushing together their lips, but it was enough to send a jolt through Mystel's body.

He'd never felt so light headed, but the sensation was great.

Rei pulled away, golden pools looking at him in both concern and warmth, and Mystel groaned at the loss of his lips.

"What do you think of me, Mystel?" Rei asked, barely a whisper. "Are you ok with this? Did you enjoy the kiss?"

Mystel blinked. He'd never really been into a relationship before, and the only kisses he'd given were for his parents or his younger brother, together with any other show of care, and this confused him greatly. But Rei was Rei; he liked Rei a lot, and he'd liked the kiss in away he'd never thought it to be possible.

He wanted to feel more of it.

So uncharacteristically to his usually shy and reserved personality, he pushed himself towards Rei, meeting his lips again.

……………………………………………

Kai snorted as his stomach gave a faint protest, wanting to be fed. Tala snickered, but said nothing, to the great relief of the slate haired teen.

The two were sprawled on two identical armchairs in Kai's private library, Tala with a pile of manga next to him and one in his hands, Kai with a book in his own, trying with all his might to turn a page. Around them, shelves filled with books of all the sizes, and one completely covered with manga, and Anime DVD.

"I wonder what they are doing," Tala mused instead of mocking his friend, as he opened the new volume of Kenshin; he was at the fight between Kenshin and Soujiro Seta, and he wanted to see how it would turn out.

"Rei will try to woo Mystel, but he will be blind to it," Kai sighed, picking up his book by the floor –where it had fallen due to his hands.

He was glad Tala was saying nothing about his clumsiness, he would have been much more ashamed of himself than he already was, but Tala was really a friend.

"Come on, Give Rei some credit… aww, that must have hurt," he pointed to the manga, obviously referring to some fighting scene. Kai shook his head, refraining himself from spoilering to the red head what would happen afterwards –since he already read that volume– and retrieved his page. "I mean, he's not that dense, besides, if he sees Mystel is not getting it, he'll drop the flirt and start hitting on him".

"Maybe that's what scares me the most," Kai shuddered. "Bad, mental images… I don't know why, but Rei always makes me cringe at the mental images he evokes…"

Tala snickered.

For a moment, there was a pause and silence fell on the two as the only sound was the turning of the pages.

Then…

"I hope Rei cleans out the table afterwards" Tala commented.

"**Tala!**" Kai cried, horrified. "**Bad mental images**! _Really_ bad!"

The red head merely snickered.

Silence again, then, Tala again said something, but this time, he was serious.

"You know that if you need to talk, I am here, right?"

Kai looked at him in surprise, then smiled.

"I know".

Both returned to their reading, but this time, the silence was comfortable.

"Still, I wonder if Rei will clean…"

"Tala!"

……………………………………………

At first surprised by the obvious display of boldness by the blond Egyptian, Rei turned possessive as soon as Mystel tried to push away after another small but sweet kiss.

That meant Mystel liked him too, that meant he was agreeing with their relationship stepping further.

So, he wasted no time and prevented the other teen from moving away by passing his arms around his back, controlling the kiss and turning it into a fierce, strong one. Mystel's lips were sweet and tasty, and Rei licked them before crushing the blond into another bruising kiss, causing the latter to squirm in the hug and moan.

Advantaging on this Rei slipped his tongue inside Mystel's mouth, ravaging him as he slowly massaged the blond teen's back with his hands, making him relax under his expert touch.

Since when had he wanted to hold Mystel this way? Since when had he wanted to taste him? Touch him; make him squirm in pleasure under him?

"Rei…" came the whisper when their lips parted again, to give both of them a moment to take a breath.

His face was flushed again, and he was dizzy, because the kiss… it had been wonderful. Rei tasted like… he couldn't really think about that in the present moment, but he liked the taste. He liked the feeling of being held like this, and he liked the way those golden pools were looking at him –and him alone.

"Mine, mine, mine," with each word Rei kissed a path to Mystel's neck, enjoying the moans of approval from him, nibbling at the tender skin, marking him as his.

Mystel groaned at the mixed sensations he was receiving from Rei's mouth moving from his neck to his earlobe, sucking, nibbling, licking it, fucking it. He closed his eyes in rapture, not even noticing when Rei picked him up from the seat and, pushing away the plates and the furniture on the table, placed him down on it, his hands lowering to tug his shirt –one of Kai's, a blue one– out of his pants, his fingers sneaking on his chest to leave ghostly touches on it.

Mystel arched his back towards Rei, feeling his whole body heat up, but wanting more.

"Rei…" he moaned.

This was right, at least, right with him.

Rei groaned, his name on Mystel's lips sounded so sensual… he leaned on him, kissing him senselessly and massaging upwards until he brushed a finger against one of his nipples, causing the younger teen to gasp and blush even more.

The raven haired teen continued his ministrations, feeling a hard erection press against his own from below the pants Mystel was wearing. Smirking at the sight of the writhing and the squirming body under his, Rei licked a path down the neck, not before removing completely the shirt from the blond, blocking his arms above his head whilst with his tongue he licked his nipples again and again, sucking on them and nibbling, feeling the body of his love arch under him, gasps passing through the open lips, eyes closed in pleasure.

One hand left Mystel's wrists to brush its path down, and reaching his legs he started massaging lightly on his tights.

Mystel's legs parted on their own accord, his mind so far into pleasure he couldn't even think.

"Rei!" he gasped as he felt a hand press against his arousal from above his pants.

"If you are fine with it, I think we should take this to a more appropriate place…" the Neko–Jin smirked at him.

Mystel panted and nodded.

"Are we going to… you know… have sex?" he asked naively, eyes sparkling with innocence and trust.

Rei shook his head slowly, his smirk turning into a real smile, "no," he said.

Mystel frowned, his head spinning fast to understand, "but…" he was cut out by a finger on his lips.

"Shush, we are not going to have sex… we are going to make love".

And with that, Rei scooped Mystel in his arms, bridal style, and walked up stairs, the bright laugh of the blond echoing through the corridors of the mansion.

…

In the library, hearing the shrill laugh, Tala smirked, and Kai cringed, his book falling once again on the floor.

……………………………………………

**MasterFranny:** you want to know why this is so short? Because there was a lemon here. But, I had to censor it because of the rating on the complete, uncensored chapter of this can be find on under my account; I would be happy if you leave a review here first and then go read the smut. The link is in my BIO.

So, please, if you care, leave a review!


	10. Complicity and Sparring

**Note:** I had to study for my exams. Don't complain about me not updating, this is a stressing period.

**MasterFranny:** Oh, look, chapter 10. Hey, I don't understand you people. I though you would be happy that I wasn't speaking only about Kai and Brooklyn, since usually you bother me of writing too much of them, and now that I devote a chapter to Rei and Mystel, you complain Kai and Brooklyn need more space. Ok! Ok! Jeez.

Garland and Tala on one side, and a busy Brooklyn on the other. Kai? Let's see.

……………………………………………

**Rating**: T

**Summary:** Takes place after G-Rev. Kai still has some 'grudges' against Brooklyn, but the older teen is determined to erase them… Yaoi BrooklynKai and GarlandTala, ReiMystel.

**Warning:** this contains Yaoi so if you don't like stop reading right now. Any flame regarding yaoi use of pairings will be handed to Hiei and Kai to be disposed of.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own. Otherwise there wouldn't be a second season like the one we had and there would be a side season filled with yaoi...

"Talking"

'_Thinking'_

"(Talking into other languages)"

–**Dreams sequences, flashbacks, memories–**

……………………………………………

**Alluring Darkness**

**Chapter 10: Complicity and Sparring**

Tala was the only one in the house to be there to greet Garland and Brooklyn's arrival that morning.

Rei was presumably still in bed cuddling with Mystel, and Kai was in the library still busy reading –that had to be a damn great book if Kai couldn't get away from it.

So, as Garland looked impressed at the mansion, for the first time noticing that Kai was rich, and Brooklyn was lost in his thoughts, Tala stepped towards them, already excited for the match that was going to take place.

"Hey, welcome, it's good you found your way here," he said tentatively, shaking both teens out of their thoughts.

"When he told me the address I was kinda surprised, since this place is for the rich families, but when I found the house I was completely sure it had to be wrong –that he was just kidding," Garland shook his head to clear it from his reverie. "Seems like I was wrong," he added.

Tala nodded, and let them in.

"So, where is Kai?" the teal haired teen asked, looking around to have a good look at the place. Ok, he too was rich, but his house was less imposing and old than this one. He wondered how Kai could live in such a place without get bored and started smashing things.

"He's upstairs, in the library," Tala replied peering at Brooklyn, who'd come to life hearing Kai's name.

"Ah, then, can you tell me please where I have to go?" the orange haired teen valued this opportunity to be alone with the slate haired blader, but was stopped by a raised hand.

"Wait, please, both of you. I have to tell you something, and even if I promised Kai I wouldn't tell anyone about this, you both need to know, especially you, Brooklyn".

Brooklyn's green eyes turned to him, seriously staring at Tala as he replied with a soft, "if it's about his hands, I already know. But I didn't say anything because I didn't think it would be this serious".

Tala had hard time to hide his shock. He hadn't noticed, and he was living with Kai, and he was his best friend, and this guy noticed. What a comforting thought, that Brooklyn had been more attentive of Kai than him.

But there again, Brooklyn looked like he knew a lot of things he wasn't supposed to know.

"Hands?" Garland, not liking to be the one not to know, frowned. "They're hurt?"

"He's got a problem with his nerves, after his battle with Brooklyn, that's why he is still stiff around him," Tala pointed at the orange haired teen. "I invited Brooklyn here so he can finally clear things out, I don't like Kai to be this tense".

Garland nodded, "So you'd prefer leave the two of them alone to solve their problems, whilst we are finally resolving our?" Tala replied with a nod, and Garland let a little grin grace his face.

"Well then, we lost too much time here, let's go settle down our match".

Garland went back outside, waiting for Tala to show him where they would battle, but the red haired teen remained a moment near Brooklyn looking seriously at him, "please, try taking it easy with Kai. He… well, he had a previous experience with Boris that not even I can completely understand, and his current status is unstable, more so because of the battle against you. I can see it in his eyes, and even if I can't understand all that torments him, I know that something in you is making him hurt".

This was the longest speech Tala had in a while with someone that wasn't Kai, and after saying this he felt particularly empty. After having explained Brooklyn where the library was, he left and approached Garland, showing him the way to the gym, where the two were to fight.

Brooklyn blinked twice. What did he meant?

With a frown the orange haired teen rethought of the way Kai acted around Boris the few times they met in the facility, and noticed that really, Kai had been all but at ease around the man. As if, but that wasn't possible, he'd been afraid of him.

Even more determined to find out what bugged Kai off, Brooklyn went upstairs, following the directions of Tala without failing, and was finally before the library's door.

A sensation of uneasiness and excitement was pooling in the pit of his stomach at the prospective to see Kai again, as if his heart was leaping in his chest, beating faster, and he tried to calm himself down. He didn't want to upset Kai even more.

Now, what was he going to tell Kai?

Well, he would need to figure out now. He knocked, and opened the door.

……………………………………………

"That is a pretty good gym," Garland looked around appreciatively.

They were in a big gym, the floor of a wood brown and the walls painted of a soothing light cream, with various training tools scattered around, as well as weights, climbing stairs and some machinery that Garland had expected to find only in a public Gym, not in a private one. But Kai was rich and obviously he could afford them.

"This is the main gym, but there is another one, smaller, where Kai told me he was used to train in, martial arts you know, after his return from the…" Tala cut out and stiffened, leaving a confused Garland staring at him. "Nothing, let's get over with it, ok? It's not good to linger on the past".

Now plainly confused but willingly not to dwell on the red head's strange mood, Garland nodded and walked to an empty space around the centre of the room, wondering if they would fight on the bare floor.

Tala walked towards a panel on the wall near the climbing stairs, scratching his chin, "Um, I think we can as well use Kai's dish for this, he won't expect nothing less from us, but there again, I hope we won't smash anything… God forbid us if we do".

Under the surprised gaze of Garland, he flickered a switch on and a hole opened before the teal haired teen's feet, revealing a raising dish of a dark brown colour, with various holes, spikes and lumps in it, around two meters of diameter, and high sides.

"That was the most unexpected thing," Garland said, raising one eyebrow. "But enough said, Tala, I challenge you!"

Tala smirked, brushing a red bang away from his eyes.

"Challenge accepted, me and Wolborg will turn you into a damn icicle!"

Garland smirked as well, "we'll see then!"

Both prepared their launchers in a second, then, "three, two, one, let it RIP!"

Apollon and Wolborg were thrown inside the dish, and the battle begun.

Not being the one to wait for the opponent to strike, Tala pointed towards the opponent's blade, knowing that using the trick of 'attack–me–so–I–can–charge–the–battery' would be ineffective on the teal haired teen; Wolborg attacked in a flash, clashing against Apollon, who resisted and counterattacked.

"Let's go straight to the point," Garland said amiably. "We're too strong to settle on playing and preliminaries before the actual fight".

Tala's smirk widened and the red haired blader let a silent chuckle wrack his body. The thrill of the fight was exciting him, and the difficulty of the entire battle was reminding him of how strong Garland was.

No point for foul games, let the real fight begin.

"Wolborg!" Tala called, raising both arms in the air.

The blade stilled for a moment, and then, in all its glory, a brilliant light erupted from the chip, taking the form of the Ice Wolf, who growled loudly towards Garland, recognizing in him his adversary.

"Come on, call your BitBeast," Tala prodded the other teen with a satisfied smirk.

Garland straightened and stared with amusement at the emotions swirling on Tala's face. The usually stoic and emotionless teen changed completely during battles, showing a side of him that would otherwise stay hidden in the depths of his soul, under his mask of indifference.

If this was the real Tala, one whose eyes shone with excitement and interest, Garland would battle him everyday if only to see this side of him.

"Apollon!"

Garland's own Beast exploded out of his chip, both Spirits looking at each other carefully but with respect, just like their masters, before attacking.

"Wolborg, let's show him the anger of the wolf!"

"Apollon, go!"

The clash of the two beasts caused a wave of sheer energy to expand through the gym, making the walls tremble, but the two bladers didn't seem to accuse it as they repeatedly commanded their beasts to attack, not caring of what was around them, too concentrated on their fierce battle.

It was easy to say they were both enjoying it greatly.

'_Gods, it feels good to finally let go some tension,'_ Tala thought after receiving a strong hit that had him step backwards.

He attacked twice as strong, the smirk turning into a contented but determined smile as he fought, pulling all his energy in his bey to strengthen up Wolborg.

Garland evaded the attack and smirked, concentrated to see Tala's moves. He was better than before, maybe because now he wasn't blind by anger.

The anger had caused Tala's powers to lower, that's why Garland had no problems defeating him; but this Tala, the one he was fighting now, was different. There wasn't anger in his stance, nor in his eyes, he was fighting because he liked to, because he enjoyed the situation, the adrenaline in his body.

This was the fight Garland wanted.

"Show me what you've got, strawberry head," he smirked as Tala spluttered, "what!"

But there was a twinkle of amusement in the red head's eyes as he attacked again, something Garland wanted to see again.

Not the void eyes.

Not the nothingness.

He wanted to see… emotions.

A good battle, being it with BeyBlades or by fighting with body or weapons, relied only on emotions. They had to be controlled, but not hidden or destroyed.

Because a real battle, one that was to be respected, had to be enjoyed. Cherished.

"Apollon! Attack!"

……………………………………………

Mystel blinked tiredly as he stretched, feeling rather stiff but contented.

For a moment, he tried to remember where he was and why was he this stiff, shaking away the sleep from his eyes to clear his mind.

Then, he felt a pair of strong arms around his hips, and a mass amount of black, silky air tangled all around his body, and he twitched.

"Good morning," as expected, the soft voice whispering near his ear sent trembles through the Egyptian's frame, as he was pulled against a strong and warm body that was lying behind him.

Mystel then remembered, and a bright, contented smile appeared on his face, as he snuggled more in the embrace, satisfied.

"Morning," he chirped looking up in the golden orbs of his lover.

Rei stared dumbfounded at the smile and at his eyes, and had hard, hard, _hard_ time trying not to jump him again. He looked delectable, absolutely delicious, innocent and _his_ when he looked at him like that.

"Mystel, stop doing that," he groaned, hiding his face in the blond mane.

"Wha?" Mystel blinked feeling Rei nuzzle his hair fondly.

"Don't smile at me like that… you only make me want to jump you again," he whined.

Mystel turned a delicious shade of crimson as he hid his face in Rei's long hair, _'aww, kawaii'_ he couldn't but think as Rei's mind registered that moment under the list of 'things I love to see Mystel doing'.

He pushed Mystel against the sheets, angrily assaulting his lips and mouth, effectively blocking the teen under his with his arms pinned above his head.

"Whaaa!" Mystel panted after the fierce kiss. "What was that for?"

"Because you are kawaii and you are _my_ kawaii boy" Rei replied with a glint of satisfaction in his golden eyes.

He was about to jump on him again when the walls trembled and loud noises of beast fighting were heard. Mystel eeped and sneaked out of Rei's arms to look outside the window, "Garland is here! He's fighting Tala, perhaps?"

Rei groaned at the loss of warmth but let his eyes linger appreciatively on Mystel's naked body that was standing there to please his sight.

Rei's mind all the while chanting _'mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine'_ rather obsessively.

"How can you tell it's Garland?" he asked raising one eyebrow.

Mystel turned, causing Rei's mind to black out at the sight the clueless teen was allowing him, and when he was shaken out of his trance by the blond asking him if there was something wrong he coughed, "wha? Can you repeat please?"

"I said I can recognize the Beast' energy, it's familiar to me," Mystel giggled then noticed the feral stare he was receiving and blushed crimson again, "stop staring like this!" he whined.

Rei pouted, "what, it's nothing I haven't seen already," Mystel shook his head and pulled on some clothes, "I'm going to see the match," he cheerfully said. "Wanna come?" he turned and passed one hand in his hair, smiling at his lover with sparkling eyes.

Rei blinked.

And then blinked twice.

"Come back in," he ordered.

"Eh? No way, I want to–" he was cut out by Rei jumping on him, grabbing his struggling body and placing him back on the bed, "Rei!"

"We are not gonna leave this room, that's for sure," was the reply.

"**REI!**"

……………………………………………

Brooklyn stared.

Kai stared back.

"What are **you** doing _here?_" the latter hissed, his voice so low and filled with hatred that Brooklyn felt something twist painfully in his stomach.

"Garland is challenging Tala to a fight, I came along with him…" he answered quietly. "I think… I think we need to talk, Kai".

Crimson eyes were icy cold as they met green pools.

"I have nothing to say to you, Brooklyn," he spat back, shifting so he was now ready for the attack he was expecting to come from the orange haired blader.

Brooklyn knew Kai had all the rights to be angry at him, even if he did not know why, but he wanted to smooth things with him because… he cared... because… because. The last thing Brooklyn wanted was to be hated by Kai.

"I want to talk about the other day," Brooklyn looked pleadingly at Kai. "The last thing I want is to humiliate you…"

"Go away," Kai hissed.

"Kai, I wanted to say I am sorry!" Brooklyn was desperate now, but the fury in the crimson orbs made his fear resurface.

He'd seen this kind of blazing anger only once before, and that had been during their fight. The memory caused Brooklyn's calm to slip slightly.

"Kai, please, listen to–"

"Go. Away!"

Kai was trembling now, and was clenching his fists to tightly the nails cut the skin, a little trail of blood dripping down. Brooklyn watched transfixed the fury that was so clear on his face and stepped backwards, feeling afraid of Kai. This was a new side of him the orange haired teen never saw before, something that put Kai on a new different level… Kai was like an ignited explosive.

"Kai, I am sorry!"

"Go away! You know nothing! How can you even think about the humiliation you put me through? Why did you do that? Why do you keep on stalking me? Why do you want to destroy me? Are you so blind in your desire of revenge that you can't see anything else?"

Brooklyn shook his head forcibly, looking at the furious slate haired teen in front of him with widened eyes. Kai was really mad at him.

"Kai…" he tried, but the other did not let him finish.

"Don't give me shit, Brooklyn," hearing his name spoken with such a hatred made Brooklyn flinch. "And I don't remember having invited you there in the first place! Leave, I don't want to see your face around me ever again!"

He was trembling now, but not because of the hatred, like Brooklyn was thinking. Kai was deeply afraid. He was afraid Brooklyn would attack him again, and knowing he had no strength to push him away, he feared what he would do.

A sudden image flashed through Kai's mind, the darkness behind Brooklyn. Zeus. Similar to Black Dranzer. He didn't want to be dragged in by it, not again.

"**Leave!**" he yelled, his breath ragged.

Brooklyn jumped forwards, he did not want to go. He wanted to show Kai he was sorry, he wanted to show him he meant what he said. He grabbed Kai's wrist, causing the younger teen to gasp and try to pry him away, but Brooklyn tightened his hold.

Kai's mind panicked, he knew it, he _knew_ it, Brooklyn was going to hurt him! All he said, lies, all lies, he was dark, like Black Dranzer, like Zeus…

"Go away! Go away! Go away! I don't want your darkness!" his voice came out strained but high pitched as he tried to wiggle himself out if the older teen's grasp. "I was deceived once and almost died! I don't want to go there again! I don't want to drown back down there! Leave me alone! You and Black Dranzer!"

Brooklyn froze, letting go of Kai's wrist, watching the slate haired teen scuffle away from him, panting for the outburst. Black Dranzer?

What was Black Dranzer? Why did Kai say that he didn't want Brooklyn's darkness? Was he referring to Zeus? No, at least not completely. There was something amiss here, something involving that Black Dranzer. But Dranzer was red, a Phoenix. She wasn't black!

That did not make sense at all!

"Kai, what do you mean? What's Black Dranzer!" Brooklyn demanded, stepping towards the distressed teen, but Kai didn't let him come near.

"You are like her! _Zeus_ is like her! Alluring Darkness trying to deceive me again! I won't fall again in your plans, I already was used once… no, twice! I won't be used again! I won't let you take my sanity! I won't let you turn me into a brainless zombie again!"

Brooklyn was now even more confused than ever. What Kai said made no sense at all. Brainless zombie? Used again?

Kai grabbed his head in his trembling hands, closing his eyes, "go away! I know what you want from me! I won't be deceived again! Go away! **Now!**"

Brooklyn watched as tears pooled in the blood eyes of the teen in front him, but they did not fall. He was at loss.

The figure of Zeus' wielder disappeared before Kai's eyes. His own darkness, the one that was still residing in his mind, clouded his sight, blurring away Brooklyn until there was nothing but shadows in front of him, and a flicker of pitch black figure that took the form of the dreaded dark Phoenix. Black Dranzer was staring at him almost mockingly, hallucination so real in Kai's eyes that his mind believed it to be in fact real.

Drowning.

"_Kai… you know you can't escape me…"_

"No! I left you behind years ago! I won my battle against you Black Dranzer!" Kai stepped backwards. "GO AWAY!"

Brooklyn did not move towards the door, instead he stepped forwards and did the first thing that came into his mind at the moment. He felt a deep pain in his chest at the sight of Kai acting this way, and he knew he needed to know why Kai was saying such things, but he also knew Kai would not tell…

At the moment he did not care, he just wanted to do something to soothe Kai's clear pain, and the only thing he seemed to think would work was…

He grabbed Kai by his shoulder and pulled the trembling body against his own, hugging Kai and burying his face in the soft hair, the warmth of Kai's frame pressed against his own calming down the pain in his chest, but oddly doubling it in a different way.

He was so lost in breathing Kai's scent, and in holding him, that he failed to feel him stiff and freeze at the contact, crimson eyes widened in deep, utter fear. Kai felt his brain stop dead at the feeling of warmth and security he felt in these arms, but that feeling was drowned in fear, shock and despair.

She was trying to lure him down again…

Black Dranzer…

Enveloping him, faking warmth, faking calm, faking comfort… he knew it was all an act. There would be only pain now.

"No! Stay away! Don't touch me!" he freed himself from the arms and felt something in him whine at the loss of warmth, but he shook his head, knowing that feeling of weakness would only prove that he could be allured once again. He tried so hard to fight Black Dranzer's charm on him, and now he discovered that if he were to relax, she would take him again.

"Kai!"

Now, the voice was different from Black Dranzer's…

His sight shifted again. Brooklyn was standing there again, and in horror Kai realized it was Brooklyn who hugged him.

"You…"

Kai stared as Brooklyn stepped towards him again, he could not let him have his way, he would only get hurt. Brooklyn was like Black Dranzer, now he was sure of it.

The orange haired teen had looked in shock at Kai's display, more worried now that ever, and went to him, his only desire now to hug Kai again until he had calmed down, to feel again the warmth in his arms, the feeling of… fulfil he had.

But the moment he reached out again, Kai snapped.

He moved fast, so Brooklyn had no time to react or move away, and punched the older teen on the cheek, sending him backwards with the strength of the hit. Brooklyn fell back on the floor, shocked by being attacked, and felt a sharp pain flare from his cheek, where Kai hit him. He shakily stood up, evading at the last second another attack.

"Go away! Did you hear me! Go away! _Now!_" Kai was so shaken he could not say anything else, trembling, fear and anger mixing together so he couldn't distinguish between them anymore, but knowing he could not stand to see Brooklyn anymore.

Brooklyn stepped back again, knowing he would not calm down, not with him around at least, and he resigned to disappear before Kai ended up more furious than he already was. He would not believe him if he said he was sorry, because there was something more than just their fight or his hands… or the kiss they shared.

Kai looked like he was haunted by something, and Brooklyn wanted to find out. A way or another. So, maybe, he had to leave Kai until he knew what was happening to him.

But it hurt, to see him like this, to be rejected this way.

And still, Brooklyn was patient. He would never renounce, not even after this.

……………………………………………

Garland and Tala looked at each other again.

Their fight was still on, heated and strong, but none of them, even if tired, was up to being defeated. It had been a while since they had a fight like this, and both were satisfied, feeling alive as they continued, ignoring the strain.

BeyBlades clashing against each others, the two Beasts above their heads attacking and moving as if they were dancing instead of fighting, the adrenaline pumping in their veins. It was as if they didn't want the battle to end, because they were enjoying it too much, but they also knew it should finish.

And when both raised their eyes from the bey dish, preparing themselves, both knew this would be the last attack.

"Apollon, let's finish this!"

"Wolborg, come on!"

The clash was just as powerful at it was supposed to be. Garland and Tala were sent against the opposite walls from the wave of power that came out of the hit, and when they stood up again, they saw their beasts disappear back in their chips, and both beys stilled at the same time.

There was a moment of calm, then Tala and Garland stared at each other, and…

Both started to laugh.

"It's a tie, it seems," Garland managed to say in–between the fits of laughter, walking to the dish to pick up both their bey, handing one to the red haired teen, who took it and smirked, "seems like it, yeah".

Garland nodded, "that was a good battle, Tala," he admitted.

Tala nodded, placing Wolborg in his pocket, "so we settled it down," he felt no more animosity towards the teal haired teen, instead he felt contented, even if the result was a tie.

"Yeah, we did" Garland paused for a moment, and then he added, uncertainly, "So… what are we standing now?"

Tala frowned. He thought it over, "I don't really know," he commented.

"I guess we can be… friends…" Garland stared pointedly at him.

Tala was surprised, but quickly the shock disappeared and his trademark smirk was back. "Sure," he replied, and offered his hand to Garland, who smiled back and took it.

'_At least that smirk is sincere,'_ the teal haired teen released the red head's hand and walked outside the gym with him. _It's a start, I think…'_

……………………………………………

**MasterFranny:** I hope you will review and tell me if you liked this. Have a nice day! I am sure I will… I have to write some chapter for my other fics… Sorry for the ugly battle description, I really suck at them.


	11. Explaining and Sorrow

**This is dedicated to everyone who read this fic up to know. Thanks!**

**Note:** I know I know, took me so long to put it up. And I am fucking going against the agreement me and Kuroi had so I will get killed but… you know, inspiration for this one comes easier than inspiration for _'Recover'_.

**MasterFranny:** thanks for all the wonderful reviews! I wuv you all! So, here it is, the next chapter. Let's see what comes out of it ne?

……………………………………………

**Rating**: T

**Summary:** Takes place after G-Rev. Kai still has some 'grudges' against Brooklyn, but the older teen is determined to erase them… Yaoi BrooklynKai and GarlandTala, ReiMystel.

**Warning:** this contains Yaoi so if you don't like stop reading right now. Any flame regarding yaoi use of pairings will be handed to Hiei and Kai to be disposed of.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own. Otherwise there wouldn't be a second season like the one we had and there would be a side season filled with yaoi...

"Talking"

'_Thinking'_

"(Talking into other languages)"

–**Dreams sequences, flashbacks, memories–**

……………………………………………

**Alluring Darkness**

**Chapter 11: Explaining and Sorrow**

When Garland and Tala entered the house again, to their great surprise they saw Brooklyn standing in front of the door with a haunted look.

A purplish bruise was rapidly forming on his cheek, right under his eye, was the only explanation the two received of what had happened in the library, since the orange haired teen was so lost in his thoughts he didn't even react or yelp as Tala placed a cool raw steak on his swelling cheek.

Tala and Garland shared a look, both perplexed and worried at the same time for their friends, not understanding what could have happened.

"Brooklyn…" Garland tried one more time, but again got no reply.

Sighing, the fighter teen decided to drop the matter, knowing he would get to know eventually, because Brooklyn trusted him enough to confide in him.

Waving at a contented –a word that he would never had put next to Tala's name– red head Garland and Brooklyn walked back towards their house, both deep in thought.

One was mentally analyzing the battle he'd fought, enjoying it completely, the other was musing about a certain slate haired blader whose comprehension was always a step too far.

He knew that even if he now had the approval of Tala and even Rei –in some measure– Kai would never become less a mystery to him if he didn't start from an easier subject. Kai would never speak to him again so he needed to find out what was wrong with him by using the next best shot –who at the time was not Tala, neither Rei.

Again, he had to resign using a much lesser tool that could be identified as Tyson.

"I'll be back in a while," were the first words he spoke to Garland before simply turning around and walking away, much to the resent of the teal haired teen who had believed Brooklyn would at least explain. But he couldn't be helped, Brooklyn was the way he was.

'_I just hope he will get Kai to understand and that he will understand what's with Kai,'_ he thought before turning and resuming his walk back home.

His sister would surely wonder where he was, since he forgot to tell her he was going to Kai's.

As Brooklyn walked at a fast pace towards Tyson's house, he tried to put in the right places all the things he knew about Kai, to form some kind of scheme in his mind that could help him understand what was going through his mind at the moment, and why he'd reacted the way he did when touched.

Brooklyn was determined to understand him.

He had to admit that Kai was really a mystery, because apart for what he could see by himself, nothing about him was clear. He kept his past hidden, and all in all, that interested and caused curiosity in Brooklyn.

Each moment passing by, he wanted to reveal what was hidden, and understand.

That was why when he knocked at the door and it was Tyson that opened it, he smiled sheepishly at him. That was why, when Hitoshi appeared behind his brother, Brooklyn hid the growl from his lips and smiled at him as well.

Because right now he needed anything he could get.

"Brooklyn, so nice to see you!" Tyson and Hitoshi smiled at him –one heartedly, the other rather unwillingly. "Come in, we were up to play poker!"

Brooklyn blinked but did not comment on the strange choice of games the Granger family liked to play, this was not of his concern, not now and certainly not ever. He followed Tyson inside, glaring at his older brother from above the bluenette's shoulders, being glared back by the older of the brothers with just as much displeasure.

Hitoshi did not like at all Brooklyn's arrival, more so because he was planning to winning Tyson some money this day, but he merely shrugged and decided to go play with the PlayStation2 in the sitting room, leaving the two younger bladers alone in the kitchen with Grandpa Granger.

Brooklyn smirked inwardly, thanking whatever god was up there that he would be able to speak with the Dragon alone. The last thing he needed was to have Hitoshi breath on his neck because of Kai, threatening to take the slate haired teen away from him the moment he let his attention slip.

Grandpa Granger, remembering what Garland had said about Brooklyn liking the company of people that would not treat him like a freak, smiled and poured out three cups of hot, steamy tea, wondering if the orange haired teen would join them in their poker play now that Hitoshi was gone.

The old freak was no stupid –even if he did make people think that all the time– and had noticed that after the BEGA tournament his grandson and the wielder of Zeus were not as nice to each other as they were before; a better word would be, they were still civil, but secretly threw mental daggers against the other every time they met.

Placing one of the cups before the teen, he received a warm smile and a nod from him and hummed to himself happily –he was such a collected and educated boys, not at all like his younger grandson…

"So, Brooklyn, tell me, what takes you here?" Tyson gulped down half of his cup of tea in one go, together with four or five cookies appeared from nowhere.

Brooklyn let his smile widen slightly, taking everything with calm so nothing would be too suspicious. "I saw Kai today," and to add to the speech he pointed at his cheek.

Even after a cool steak being applied on it for fifteen minutes, the swelling was still rather evident –so he wondered why no one of this family noticed until he pointed out the fact.

"Man," Tyson whistled, "I can understand how you feel! I got a few hits by Kai as well, mostly because I would not wake up when training was scheduled and such, but once… well nothing nice to remember anyway" the bluenette shook his head and beamed at Brooklyn, "so your plan isn't going too well ne? Garland said you were trying to flat things out with Kai".

Brooklyn shrugged, grimacing and looking rather downcast –and at least the emotion wasn't put up just for the sake of it. He really was depressed and actually upset he could not understand what was wrong.

"I don't know what happened, really," he shook his head. "But I am here to ask something I have been wondering for a while now… it is related to Kai and I want to understand how to make him realize I am really sorry for all that happened".

Tyson smiled sceptically, "to get into Kai's skin is not that easy, man," he sipped his tea and inhaled some more cookies, offering one to Brooklyn as he did so.

The orange haired teen refused politely, hiding a grimace of disgust at the horrible sight of Tyson's mouth. "It took a whole lot of time to make him at least accept we were there, let alone be friends with him, seriously, but I can understand why he's this way".

For once, Brooklyn saw in Tyson a glimpse of the person that defeated him at the BEGA tournament and that was indeed worthy being a champion; he was not smiling anymore, and he was looking serious and almost… sad.

This was a part of the bluenette Brooklyn had only saw once, and he had to admit that, even if the picture was quite ruined by him inhaling food like it was air, he could even come to… respect this guy.

"What do you mean?" he asked calmly as he looked away from Tyson and concentrated on his own tea.

Tyson sighed. He really looked serious for once, and Brooklyn took this sign as good –that meant this guy was really caring towards his friends, and he considered Kai one of them.

"I think that since you started your beyblade career in the last two years you know nothing of the World Tournament we had three years ago," Tyson gulped down the last bit of tea and finally wiped his face clean, thank god, so Brooklyn could look safely at him again. Not even realizing the discomfort of the other teen until few seconds before, the bluenette continued with his heated speech. "It was then our team was formed –the BladeBreakers".

Grandpa Granger, while the two spoke, took out the cards and started shuffling them, before placing five cars before both teens; Brooklyn sighed, it looked like he had to pay a price for the information he wanted…

"At the time, Kai was even more close and distant than he is now, can you believe it or not," Tyson laughed sheepishly. "We fought our way to Russia against the Baihutsu, that were once called White Tigers, and the All Starz, and obviously against the European Team, the Majestics. When we reached Russia however, things started getting complicated".

Brooklyn sipped his cooling tea, his mind already memorizing the information –until now pretty useless– and waiting for more.

"Kai started acting… strange. Well, stranger than he was already. He had never been close to any of us, no matter how much we tried –and I can assure you, we _tried_".

Tyson started milling his arms around madly, and Brooklyn almost frowned. Almost. "Calm down little dude, you're not helping dude here," Grandpa Granger commented, picking up a card and starting the game.

Tyson mumbled something about old nuts and tried to collect himself; Brooklyn sighed, this was harder than he thought, and easier all the same.

"When he disappeared, we tried to find him and poof! We were informed he had joined the opponent Team!" Tyson was kinda rambling now. "But we got to know the truth only later, when he fought with the Demolition Boys… the team Tala was in before he created the Blitzkrieg Boys. The other two teens you saw that Garland defeated, well, they were part of that team as well".

Brooklyn was startled by this. So that was when Tala and Kai met?

No, this was not possible; Tyson was very persistent in making friends, and not even Kai was able to block him away when he wanted to piss off people. So if Tyson and the rest of the group had not made friends with Kai up to that moment, it was rather impossible for Tala to manage where the three failed, more so since Tala himself was not that people–lover.

"When we saw Kai again, he was evil," Tyson's voice held a strong emotion within it, and Brooklyn was surprised. "He didn't want to speak with us again, and he was fighting with another beyblade, and another BitBeast…"

Brooklyn's eyes widened hearing this.

Kai had another beast! Then… it could be possible that the other beast was what he had called Black Dranzer?

"Another Beast? But it's not possible," he commented.

Point to him, he show nothing of his inner turmoil.

"It is," Tyson replied.

Brooklyn took two cards from the deck without even looking at them.

"It was… another Phoenix," Tyson's voice trembled. Something passed through his eyes, and the orange haired teen recognized it as fear. "A dark one… completely back, but with red eyes. It was evil, Brooklyn, completely evil, and in a way, I think it was controlling Kai. Because he was thinking only about power and how to get it, and fighting our friends he stole away their beasts".

'_He what!'_ Brooklyn would have never thought something like this to be even possible.

"Yeah… we felt betrayed…" Tyson sighed again. "But we went to the Abbey… because it was there he was kept… and we found out he had a horrible past –he was trained as a BitBeast stealer and was taught not to feel emotions. His beast was something completely evil… but we managed to help Kai out of it, he returned to us willingly, and we defeated the Demolition Boys and their boss!"

Now, Brooklyn could see a lot of things clearly. He recognized in the description Tyson did the reaction Kai had with him.

He was finally finding an answer about Kai… something that he feared. The story that Tyson was telling him caused a deep fear in Brooklyn, but he refused to stop listening, because Kai was worthy it. He wanted to find the bottom of the pain he'd seen in Kai's eyes to take it away, even if that meant facing with his own hidden fears.

Tyson helped with this, he showed Brooklyn the way out of his misery and grief, and he showed him the light. It looked like Kai was still living a step away from the darkness that once had consumed Brooklyn, and thinking this, the orange haired teen felt he was one step closer to his Kai.

Because now he could understand what he was going through.

Kai… he saw the same darkness that had once controlled him in Brooklyn and Zeus. So he viewed them as a threat and not as friends, he would always see something to hide from. Because his past was still unresolved.

What could have caused the darkness to feel attracted by Kai? Brooklyn had a bad past, and the darkness felt attracted by that; that's why he fell in the bottomless pit of nothingness.

Because he felt he was nothing. He felt there was nothing that could help him, and he went down.

Away from reach.

But he was reached.

Brooklyn was caught in time and helped. Since when Kai was drowning? Why couldn't he be saved as well? Why was the darkness still hurting him, if Tyson said he was helped out of it?

Tyson knew nothing more.

Only Kai now could explain, and Brooklyn had another reason to find out the truth. Kai had helped him out of his darkness, and now Brooklyn would help Kai out of his own.

Brooklyn cared enough to really manage this feat, he cared more than Tyson ever could.

……………………………………………

"Kai, please, let me in," Tala was feeling worried now, because it had been three hours since Kai had closed himself inside his room, refusing to come out, and he was starting to doubt about Brooklyn's possibilities in ever befriend Kai.

If this was what happened every time the two met, maybe it really was needed to stop Brooklyn from seeing Kai. It hurt too much.

Kai was almost closing himself up again, like in the past, and the red head hoped this would not be the case. They had thought the pain had left forever, in the end, but what was clear now was that it was not true, at least not for Kai.

Tala sighed as for the fifth time, no one answered him from the other side of the door, and resigned himself to the fact that his friend would not come out of his room anytime soon.

He made his way down to the kitchen, and was surprised to see Rei and Mystel there, the former preparing something and the latter staring at him with an adoring look on his face. The red head would have said something sneaky and smug like, 'oh, you two are finally out of the bedroom, I thought I would never see that day again,' but he was too depressed.

The excitement of the battle against Garland had evaporated the moment he realized Kai was hurt again –and this time it were not his hands.

He felt a bad friend, a really bad one. He kept on hurting his best friend, the only one that was still around, the one that had offered him a place to stay and the one that had always been there for him. And what was he doing for him? Absolutely nothing.

Was he this worthless that he couldn't even find a way to show Kai he was there?

"Tala? Is there something wrong? We heard there was Garland here before, you had a battle right? How did it go?" Rei didn't even turn to look at the red head as he cooked, but Mystel did and he noticed immediately the dark look on the Wolf's face.

"It was good," replied Tala emotionlessly. He then shook his head, "but that's not the problem. Brooklyn was there as well, and he spoke with Kai… but their speech didn't go as well as planned, because Kai punched Brooklyn and is now closed in his room, and he doesn't want to come out".

"Jeez, Kai's really messed up… I wonder why he's so tense around Brooklyn… I mean, Brooklyn is a nice guy, and apart some slips, he's not a bad person" Rei shook his head as well, before turning back to cooking. "Knowing Kai, he won't come out in a while… it's better to just let him be and wait because there is nothing else we can do".

"Kai sees darkness in Brooklyn, and it's clear" spoke someone.

Rei and Tala turned in shock at who had spoken, that was Mystel, who had until that moment been completely forgotten by both.

Mystel was not good at orientating around; he was not good with words either. And he liked to wander with his head on the clouds. That was obvious, he had admitted it himself.

But for how much he could be out of it sometimes, he was a good observant. And it didn't matter it was Kai they were speaking about. To him, it was clear enough.

"Brooklyn holds darkness inside him, just as much as he does with light… and that's what saved him," Mystel fidgeted under the stare of both amber and icy azure eyes before looking away. "But… Kai… he does not look like he has any light in him… I don't know how to explain myself, but that's it. Kai doesn't want to be near Brooklyn because he thinks he's too similar to him, in some way I can't understand" he smiled sheepishly.

Tala's eyes widened.

Hell, anyone was better than him at figuring Kai out. And he was supposed to be his best friend. Brooklyn first, then Mystel, both had seen something that neither could explain or understand fully, and the only one that should have known what was going on was the one that had been completely blind to it all.

"I'm going back up," he said determinately.

But as he walked towards the stair, feeling a dire need to just look at Kai and tell him it would all be ok, that now he knew, the phone started ringing. Tala cursed and went to pick up.

"Yeah?" he replied, before realizing he would need to be a little politer since it wasn't his home. "Moshi moshi?" he corrected himself quickly.

"Is that Mr. Hiwatari?" asked a clear voice from the other end.

"No, I'm not Kai, but… he can't answer the phone at the moment," Tala frowned lightly, eager to shut the phone down and go upstairs to his friend. "If you need to speak to him, you can refer to me, and I will tell him".

The voice on the other end of the phone was silent for a split second, then, "I am the secretary of the hospital, the results of Hiwatari's tests are ready, and he's needed here. Can he come later in the afternoon?"

Tala felt a hand clutch his heart painfully, his throat constricting, but he nodded nonetheless.

"Of course, we will be there in a hour or so".

With that, he shut the call and with a uncertain gaze at the Neko–jinn that had exited the kitchen and was staring at him in worry, he went upstairs.

Again, the feeling of tightness in his chest returned, at the sight of the closed door that to Tala looked like a wall he could not climb over. Kai was behind there, shutting himself away from his friends, and he felt he could not let this happen.

He cared for Kai, he really did, and he'd once promised to himself he would protect his friend.

He wasn't going to back away from his promise.

"Kai," his voice was steadier than before, eyes flaring with determination. "I am going to come in even if you don't want me to, and if you don't open this door _now_, I'll knock it down –on the count of three".

Tala prepared himself.

"One…"

He clenched his fists, tensing the muscles in his shoulders so to brace himself from the hit he was going to take.

"Two…"

He lowered his head and shoulders, readying himself.

"Thr–"

With a soft creaking sound, the door opened.

Kai's crimson eyes stared at him, holding so much pain Tala felt like he'd gone back in time, to when they were still at the abbey. It was wrong. It was not something he wanted to face again, nor let Kai face either.

"Tala…" Kai's voice was clipped and low.

"Kai, listen carefully now" the red head's tone was hard and left no room to disagree. "I can't let you face this alone. We are friends, we went through worse than this, and we can overcome anything together. If you can't face Brooklyn, I will do anything in order to not let you meet with him anymore".

Kai closed his mouth, eyes widened, but said nothing, and Tala continued.

"But this wouldn't be you. I know it is painful, and I know Brooklyn holds the same darkness you once felt with Black Dranzer. But that was in the past, and he won't hurt you. I won't let him, no one of us will. You are too strong to let this control your spirit, and I know you can solve things out…"

Now blue eyes were sharp, but Tala was not angry. He was just resolute. He knew he had to prove a point there, or nothing would change.

Without warning, he stepped forwards and hugged Kai, fiercely, his hands gripping the other's shoulders not making him squirm away, even if the slate haired teen was trying hard to do so.

"Kai, no. I trust you to be able to realize how foolish you are acting, by letting a memory control you this much. I know you are in pain, but you are too strong to let yourself down so much!"

Kai gasped in shock, biting his lip.

"You are going to calm down, then face Brooklyn once for all. It doesn't matter how long it will take for you to do it, or what will come after that, but you have to realize Brooklyn is not Boris, and that he is not up to harm you in any way. I expect you to work out everything with him, even if afterwards you won't speak to each other anymore, I think you both have to".

Kai closed his eyes, finally relenting and leaning to the embrace.

He knew Tala was right.

It was hard nonetheless, knowing Brooklyn, and having the memories of Black Dranzer and her darkness fresh in his heart and mind. Taunting, haunting him.

But Tala was right.

He was better than this.

He had to clear things out with Brooklyn, because he could not let the orange haired teen to control his life, nor to have such power over him.

He could not let Brooklyn affect him this way, because he was strong enough to refuse the darkness again.

"Tala…" Tala, not removing his arms from Kai's shoulders, stiffened and listened to him. "Thanks".

The red haired teen smiled.

……………………………………………

The three in the room were silent as they stared at each other, the tension in the air so thick it could be cut with a knife.

There is was, not even a week later, the results of the tests. Kai was glad he would have the answer to his problems so soon, but at the same time he felt vaguely uncertain.

Kai felt unsure about the outcome, but he was certain he could take both good and bad news; there was no problem, he'd enough courage to have either.

He just hoped it was nothing serious.

He was only started trying to put the pieces of his life back together, trying to find the guts to face Brooklyn, but at least he knew he had Tala at his side. He had all his friends at his side.

Kai had realized what a control the orange haired blader held over him, so much he hadn't noticed up to now due to the ghosts that were haunting him.

He still could not understand how could someone like Brooklyn be so imposing over him, not counting the similarities he had with Black Dranzer. Kai knew there was something different in him, and he really wanted to see where they stood. But for the present moment, he simply could not concentrate on it enough.

Because, no matter how hard he tried, the mere thought of seeing Brooklyn again filled him with fear and dread.

Shaking his head, Kai stared at the doctor in front of him, the same woman that had helped him –Mrs. Kobayashi.

"I am glad you could come, Kai," she said warmly, her smile making him feel at ease.

"So…" he cleared his throat. "What are the results?"

Mrs. Kobayashi's smile never faltered. In situations like this one, she knew her patients would be not just worried, but afraid of what they could hear, and despite what the news was, she knew the best way was to smile while speaking,

Fortunately, this time the news were positive.

"The results showed us there is not arthritis," she said to him, and saw his shoulders drop in relief. Next to him, the red haired teen's face brightened up considerably, and once again, she wondered how those two could go on like this without parents.

She had seen Kai's form, compiled by his friend while he was unconscious; he was an orphan, and by the information Tala had written down without hesitation, they had lived in the same place. That, and the fact that his name was too famous to not know anything about his family and the disastrous happenings some years before, led Mrs. Kobayashi to the conclusion that the two had been caring for each other since children.

She was glad the slate haired teen had such a close friend.

"Your pain, although for the most part caused by mental strain, is to be blamed to an overuse of the muscles, tendons and the connections with the nerves. The combined effect of all those factors is what caused your sharp pain" she looked seriously at him. "Fortunately, it's nothing too serious, if you keep taking the painkillers and the cream I gave you, plus another medicine I am going to prescribe to you now, it will take no time for you to be healthy again. just keep in mind, you absolutely have to evade any kind of physical strain to be forced upon your hands".

Kai stared down at his hands, knowing he would have to be really careful, even more than usual, from now on.

But he was relieved, and he did nothing to hide it. Tala smirked, feeling just as relieved as his friend. Finally, it was looking up for Kai, now the only thing that was left was to confront Brooklyn… which would come with its own time.

"I will need to take you monitored though, you should return here every two days," Mrs. Kobayashi filled out the prescription for the new medicine and handed it to Tala, who took it and looked at her gratefully. "And remember, no physical strains. It's been a pleasure to meet you two".

Saying that, she hushed both of them out of her office, smiling as she closed the door behind her back.

Kai smiled at Tala, "I am glad it was nothing serious" he commented.

Tala smirked back at him, seeing his mood was brighter than before.

He was glad to have the old Kai back.

"I am, too," he admitted. "Come on, let's go back home, I want to see a movie tonight!"

Kai grimaced lightly, "I hope you are not going to add popcorn!" he commented slightly disgusted.

Tala laughed.

"No way in hell!"

……………………………………………

**MasterFranny:** took me long enough, but I got back my interest in BeyBlade. Watch out then! And review! Make me know that you are still reading, kk?

Oh, and to make out because I didn't post sooner, I am going to add another chapter soon. You will see things develop between garland and Tala, and some more about Brooklyn and Kai! I was getting frustrated about the slow going of this, after all.


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